R&R: Rebirth of the Legacy
by Chanelle Summer
Summary: An original telling of the Power Rangers series! Kim wakes up after a terrifying experience, and her life takes a new turn. How will her friends be able to help her? Tells the story of how the rangers were before they were rangers! MMPR
1. Prologue: Waking From A Nightmare

**R&R: REBIRTH OF THE LEGACY**

By Chanelle Summer

_**Disclaimer**: I do not own the Power Rangers series, nor do I own any of the characters or storylines, which are all owned by Saban and Disney. All other characters and situations in this series are of my own imagination._

Warnings: This story contains some sexual references in later chapters and may change rating over time.

This story is a completely original retake on the Power Rangers series and will span over many episodes. Excluding the Prologue, all chapters are very long and each one is an individual 'episode'. The first five or so episodes cover the younger years of the rangers, showing insights into how they became friends and their strengths, weaknesses and experiences in their early teenage years. It will then go into the 'Legacy' of the rangers, which will be completely different to actual show, and as with all my stories, there will be lots of twists and turns along the way. If you would like to see an 'episode' guide to this story, check out my profile!

**Understanding the Lead up to this story: **This is a new adaptation of the power rangers series, and as such wipes the slate completely clear of anything you know from the actual series. So, it's important to remind you all that dates, etc are all for the purposes of this story. This story is the third episode in my series of stories, however can be easily understood and enjoyed if you haven't read them because it's all starting from scratch. The way this story will work is it will be one long story, made up of smaller 'episodes' that will make up the overall story. While Kimberly is my primary character, this story will explore all the characters and include them all in their own storylines and pov's along the way (which is pretty essential when you're starting something new). Please note that this is NOT a retelling of the power rangers series- this story will be completely different and original, however I will be of course sticking to certain aspects (ie. including the characters from the actual show, etc). All comments welcome!

* * *

**Waking From a Nightmare - Prologue**

_**The Hart Residence, Angel Grove, California **_

_**Tuesday, 19th February 1991**_

Kimberly Anne Hart tossed and turned in her brass bed, the blankets that had been tightly tucked in now thrown about, as she continued to sleep restlessly, unaware that she was just having a bad dream. Despite the wintry freeze that loomed outside, tiny beads of sweat trickled above her brow, a strange heat hovering in the air around her.

She moaned as she slowly awoke from the deep sleep, aimlessly rubbing her eyes. She opened them slightly, and blinked surprised to be faced by darkness. She rolled over slightly and could see her talking digital clock besides her flashing two o'clock.

She didn't understand why she would wake up in the middle of the night, but slowly pulled the covers down to hop out_. Maybe if I go to the toilet I'll be able to go back to sleep_, she thought to herself.

She dropped her feet over the side of her bed, her bare feet coming into contact with the floor below. She took some steps towards her door in the dark, trying not to open her eyes too much so that she didn't wake up so much that she couldn't return back to sleep.

Kimberly stopped as she realized the strange noise from underneath her, the unusual crackling making her wary. She hated the dark, and even though she knew there was nothing to be afraid of, she still couldn't help but want to turn the light on.

She frowned as she noticed an amber light shine from the crack underneath her door. Unable to think of why the light would still be on in the hallway, she quickened her way to her bedroom door to investigate what was going on.

Kimberly grabbed hold of the brass door handle, a sudden burning sensation shooting up her hand. "Ouch!" she cried, letting it go, and grabbing the painful palm in her other hand. She began to panic, as she tried to find something to cover her hand so she could open the door without burning herself.

"Mom!" she called out. She felt herself on the urge of tears when her mother didn't respond, the shooting pain up her arm causing her to fully wake up, realizing the vicious sound that was roaring from the other side of the door.

She knowingly reached for her dressing gown off the back of the door and used it to cover her hand. Grabbing the handle quickly, she turned it, pulling it open. She stared stunned as she came face with flames of fire, engulfing the nearby stairs and the entire right side of the top floor of her house.

"Mom! Dad!" she shrieked as smoke flooded around her. Remembering what she learnt during fire safety week at school, she quickly dropped down to the ground, pulling her dressing gown up to cover her mouth. She could see her parents' bedroom was blocked off by the fire, and so crawled back into her room.

"Help!" she screamed out as she crawled along, "Help me!" she screamed over and over again.

She got up and moved over to her bedroom window, pulling open the thick pink curtains that had blocked out the light from the flames down below. Her hands fumbled to unlock the latch on the window so she could open it, her fingers trembling as she felt panic begin to take over.

She turned her head quickly to see the flames flickering near the entrance way to her room, and so she pulled her window open, her face dropping as she came face to face with a security screen she didn't know how to open.

"Help!" she screamed again, knowing that her neighbors must have been able to hear her calls with the window open. She began to cough unbearably, smoke making her gag as she stood helplessly at the dead end, tears streaming down her face.

She moved over to her desk where she did her homework and picked up the wooden chair, trying to lift it high enough so she could try and smash the window. Awkwardly, she tried to swing it several times, her weak movements causing no damage to the glass that stayed intact.

"Daddy!" she cried out again. "Please, someone help me!"

She began picking things up in her room and throwing them at the window until the smoke overwhelmed her and she fell to the ground.

* * *

_**Angel Grove Memorial Hospital **_

_**Wednesday, 20th February 1991**_

The depressing dawn of a new day ticked over to early afternoon as a young girl slowly woke up from the depths of a dark and disturbing sleep. Slight murmurs escaped from between her pursed lips as a nightmare turned into conscious truth, and she felt the illusory shadows of a bad dream convert to reality.

_Where am I?_ Kimberly thought groggily to herself, as sterile light snuck under her flickering eyelids. At first everything she saw was white, until slowly her vision cleared and she remembered what had led up to that moment.

_The fire; there was a fire at my house! _

Slowly gathering her thoughts, her first belief was that it had just been a nightmare. Her only thought was that somehow the image of her family home being engulfed by vicious flames was something she'd made up in her head. As her terrified eyes absorbed her new surroundings, however, she realized with trepidation that her last memories of a fierce inferno must have been real.

But somehow she had been rescued...

A strained squeak of a moving door hinge pulled her from her puzzle of thoughts, and an older lady with thick, unmanageable hair walked in wearing a nurse's uniform. The nurse offered her a gentle smile, before attending to a clipboard at the end of Kimberly's bed. The lady's silence made Kimberly feel uncomfortable, almost like she was invisible.

"Where is my mom?" Kimberly finally spoke up, wincing as her throat throbbed with each spoken word.

The nurse continued to flip though the documents in her hand, and Kimberly slumped her head back against the pile of white pillows. She could only think about how much she missed her mom, how rude she thought the nurse was and how much she hated the feel of the uncomfortable, plastic-like sheets against her bare legs. She moved her gaze as a tiny knock sounded on the wooden doorframe, and she looked towards the entrance with hope, assuming she would be greeted by the image of her two parents.

She was instead, taken aback when she noticed who was there. The two adults stared back at her with a mix of apparent relief and nervousness, their faces both familiar to Kimberly, yet not the ones that she had been hoping to see.

"Hi sweetheart, how are you feeling?" Kathleen Scott asked her softly, approaching Kimberly's bed with her husband close behind her.

Kimberly blinked for a moment. "Um, what's going on?" she asked quietly, as the middle-aged mother sat down on the end of her bed, while Ian Scott took the visitor chair against the wall.

"How are you feeling, Kimberly, are you feeling okay?" she asked again.

Kimberly nodded. "I feel all right, I have a headache, and my throat is really sore," she replied honestly. "What happened to my house? Is it okay?"

Mr. Scott leaned over, dropping his solid arms on his knees. "There was a fire at your house last night," he began. "Unfortunately it seems that your smoke alarms weren't working, and this meant that nobody noticed the fire straight away. It did a lot of damage, by the time the firefighters reached you, the fire had destroyed most of your home."

Kimberly lowered her gaze, swallowing saliva as she felt herself on the verge of tears. "Do you mean my house is gone? My room?" she asked, noise barely escaping her lips.

He nodded. "I'm very sorry Kimberly," he confirmed gently.

Kimberly looked at Mrs. Scott as the pretty woman tucked a strand of shoulder length blond hair behind her ear. "Where's Jason?" Kimberly asked carefully, wondering where her lifelong friend was. "And where are my parents? Did they come while I was asleep?"

She nervously watched the two adults exchange a quick look, and Mrs. Scott reached out to take her tiny hand. "Jason's at school, he didn't want to go, but the doctors told us that you would be asleep for quite a few hours, so we'll pick him up from school and bring him here for a visit this afternoon," she hesitated and Kimberly could clearly see a look of dread on her face, the lines creasing on her forehead showing the signs of age. "Kimberly, there is no easy way to say this-."

"What, is something wrong with them, are they hurt?" Kimberly couldn't help but speak up. She felt her stomach churning, the anticipation driving her mind wild.

"Your parents were killed in the fire," she gently revealed, and Kimberly instantly let out a tiny, painful gasping noise. She pulled her hand away, and covered her mouth, tears spilling from her eyes.

"No!" Kimberly breathed, heaving breaths overwhelming her as she could feel heat rush to her cheeks. "No, no, NO!" she wailed. She clenched her hands and slammed them against her outstretched legs, unable to feel the affliction of her own fists as she felt an explosion inside her.

She could feel Jason's mother slide up the bed, gently reaching behind her shoulders to pull her into a strained, yet comforting embrace. Kimberly wanted to pull away, longed to run out of the room, but was too paralyzed by shock to do anything. She could feel the older lady's arm move up and down her back, and Kimberly couldn't do anything but rest her heavy head against the woman's chest and cry.

"It's okay, sweetie," Kimberly could hear her whisper soothingly into her ear. "You can cry, it's okay, you can cry..."

* * *

Jason Lee Scott quickly made his way through the bustling main hall of the west end of Angel Grove Elementary school, hoping to make it through the corridor before the end of school day rush moved into full swing. He had only started walking home from school with his friends a few weeks before hand, sometimes even stopping to play at the park on the way, but today was not an ordinary day. Something terrible had happened to one of his best friends, and he had waited anxiously all day through class just so he could go to see her.

He made his way through the entrance of the hallway and turned to find his three closest friends standing in their usual spot outside of their classroom. The primary condition their parents had set when allowing the youngsters their after school freedom was that they stayed together, and Jason had been so use to the routine that he nearly wondered out loud where their missing friend was.

"Guys, I told you I'm not walking home today, my parents are taking me to see Kimberly," Jason explained to them, trying not to sound rude.

"Yeah, we know, we thought maybe we could come?" Zack Taylor suggested. The African American boy propped his hands in his pockets, his stance unusually depleted. He was, as always, dressed in dark sweatpants and a turtleneck, his short curly hair neatly in place.

Jason sighed at his best friend's question. "My parents told me that they think it's a good idea if only I go today," he admitted. "She probably won't feel like seeing anyone..."

Trini Kwan slumped her shoulders, her dark eyes filled with sorrow. Jason felt badly for his Asian friend, knowing that she usually spent a lot of time with the absent brunette, but knew that unfortunately being the age of twelve meant that he had little choice in the matter.

"I promise I'll tell her you guys said hi," Jason told them, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Trini nodded dismally, and reached into her yellow backpack. "We have something for her," she said, as she fumbled through her bag's contents. She looked up and handed him a folded piece of cardboard and Jason could see it was handmade card decorated with glitter and stickers. Jason took it and opened it, his eyes scanning over the heartfelt messages written to Kimberly from them all.

"She'll like this," Jason told her. He kept the card in hands, not wanting to risk it getting squashed in his bag.

"We'll walk you to the front," Billy Cranston offered, adjusting his glasses and motioning ahead of them. He fidgeted with the buckle on the side of his denim overalls, as he lowered his eyes to his sneakers and began moving forward.

Jason could tell that Billy seemed slightly nervous, and only guessed it was because out of them all he knew Kimberly the least. In fact, had it not been for Jason, the group of mix-matched friends probably would not have ever known one another. Jason could tell by the sincerity in Billy's voice, however, that his younger friend was deeply troubled about the situation for reasons that were his own. Billy's own mother had passed away from a long-term illness only two years before hand, and as the group made their way through to the main car park, Jason wondered if maybe Billy should have been the one to go to visit Kimberly.

"Remember to say hi," Trini reminded Jason as they reached the front of the school, her face still fallen.

Jason gave them a little wave as he spotted his parents vehicle at the curb, and then jogged over, hopping in the back seat. He closed the door and immediately looked at his parents in the front seat.

"How is Kimberly?" he asked. It was a broad question, and he hoped that his mother would be as open and honest with him as she usually was.

His mother turned around from the passenger seat and smiled gently at her son. "She's understandably very upset," she replied. "She's going to need a lot of support to help her get through this extremely difficult time."

"Has her family gone to see her yet?" he asked, knowing that Kimberly had little family as it was in Angel Grove.

His mother turned back to face the front of the car. "Her grandparents were there this morning, and her uncle Steve arrived this afternoon, along with two of her cousins from Los Angeles," she answered. "But more of her family is expected to arrive over the next few days in time for Kimberly's parents' funeral."

Jason looked down. He'd never been to a funeral in his life, not even to a distant relatives funeral, but yet his friend had to go to one for her parents in only a few days time.

_Poor Kimberly_, he thought to himself, _I can't even imagine what it would feel like...and now she has no one left to look after her..._

Jason looked up as the thought came to his mind. "What's going to happen to Kimberly now, I mean where is she going to live?" he asked.

He heard his mother sigh, _not a good sign..._

"We're not sure at this stage, honey...hopefully she'll live with one of her relatives."

Jason could tell his mother's response was a typical explanation from an adult when they were being careful and overly gentle, usually used to brush away the persistent questions from a child that they did not know how to answer.

He sighed himself; _all her relatives live so far away_...he didn't want Kimberly to move away.

He looked out the window as his father pulled into a car park near the entrance of the hospital, and the family of three made their way towards the double door entrance. Jason tried not to think about how much he didn't like hospitals as he walked passed people in wheelchairs, or people sitting alone, their eyes downcast and saddened. He'd only been to the hospital once when he had fallen out of a tree and even then he didn't have to stay there for more than a few hours.

He followed his parents closely as they walked through a small maze of corridors, coming to a stop as his mother reached for a handle of a closed door. She pushed the door slowly open and Jason brushed passed to walk through first, stopping as he noticed his friend staring out the window to her left.

Her long dark hair was messy, her tiny shoulders covered in a cream-colored hospital robe. She briefly remained motionless until another noise from the distance suddenly drew her stricken attention their way.

Jason didn't know how to look at her at first, shocked when he came face to face with her bloodshot eyes, and her skin that was shiny from tears that seemed to have dried on her cheeks. He'd seen Kimberly cry quite a few times over the years he had known her, but he'd never seen her look so lost.

"Hey," he managed to say, feeling stupid that he couldn't think of anything better to say to her.

She sniffed. "Hey," she replied back, her voice so quiet he almost couldn't hear her.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" his mother asked her from behind.

Kimberly offered a small shrug. "I'm hungry," she replied in a non-enthusiastic tone.

Jason turned as his father slapped him gently on the shoulder. "I'll go find you something to eat," he announced, turning and heading out the doorway.

Jason looked back at Kimberly, feeling speechless. He couldn't stop thinking about the grief she must have been feeling, and wondered about how if it had happened to him, that he didn't think he could be brave. He finally gained his full composure and walked over to her bed, taking a hesitant seat at the end of it.

They stared at each other for a moment, and Jason was about to say something when Kimberly's uncle appeared in the doorway. The Los Angeles pilot asked Jason's mother if she'd step out into the corridor for a chat, and so the two adults left, leaving Jason alone with Kimberly.

_What do I say to her?_ He thought to himself. Kimberly was Jason's oldest friend, and they had been in each other's company almost daily since their first day of kindergarten, yet today he felt awkward towards her as if he was meeting her for the first time.

Jason noticed he was still holding the card he and his friends had made at school, and extended it towards her. "Trini wanted me to give you this," he told her softly as she took the card from him, "They wanted to come with me today, but my mom said that they could come tomorrow after school."

He watched as she opened the card, a brief smile flashing on her face before she placed it down on the table beside the bed.

"Kimberly, I'm really sorry about what happened," he finally said, sliding down the bed to get closer to her.

He bit his lip when she didn't respond. _Maybe I shouldn't say anything, maybe I'm just reminding her..._

"What do you think my uncle is talking about with your mom?" she suddenly spoke up.

He shrugged. "I don't know...maybe plans for your..." he stopped as she dropped her head and he slowly reached out his hand to take hers. "If you wanna talk, I'm here..." he said to her as she quietly began to sob.

Feeling slightly discomfited, he was about to let her hand go, when he noticed her fingers curl tighter around his, so he instead remained still as they sat together in a mass of dense silence.

* * *

**_Thursday March 7th, 1991_**

Jason flopped down on the blue suede couch in his living room, propping his bare feet on the coffee table as he flicked the television on. He had planned to go and shoot some hoops with Zack and Trini after school, but the overcast weather finally gave in to a torrential downfall, and so he instead made his way home in the rain as quickly as possible.

It had been a surreal two weeks for Jason and all of his friends, and he was grateful that tomorrow would be Friday. Still on his mind were the fresh memories of the memorial service of Kimberly's parents from the previous Saturday, a day marked by the clichéd occurrence of a dark sky and gentle, unrelenting rain. Jason and his parents had stayed close with non-relatives during the service, but even over the distance, Jason had kept his eyes fixed on his grieving friend.

He had noticed that Kimberly didn't even cry until towards the end of the ceremony. She had instead stared out blankly, unresponsive to the arms of comfort from her uncle Steve and her older cousin. At one stage, she had leveled her empty gaze in Jason's direction, and he could only bite his lip and hope that she could see in his eyes just how remorseful he was for her.

Then, the days that had followed at school were misplaced without the effervescent brunette. Even though Jason didn't sit near Kimberly in class, he knew she wasn't there, almost like he could feel it. Their teacher talked about it with the class, and there were stories on the news and in the local papers.

_'Tragic house fire starts from faulty heater'_ was the headline splashed across newspapers across the state. Everyone was talking about the miracle of the twelve year olds survival, but Jason knew that that fact mattered little to Kimberly. After all, how could she possibly be relieved when she had lost everything?

Jason had spent a lot of time with Trini, Zack and Billy talking about Kimberly's situation. They all agreed that they felt powerless, and wished there was something they could do to make things better for her. Jason tried not to talk about the fact that Kimberly would be moving to another city, but Trini suggested that they make their parting friend a collage of photographs to take with her.

So, yesterday the four friend's had gotten together at Jason's place to make the collage, bringing photos they had taken from over the years. Trini had literally dozens of shots taken with Kimberly, and Jason was surprised at how many his parents had taken of him and Kimberly over time. They laughed a lot at the various images, reminiscing over past events and how they had all met. Zack told Billy the story of how he had first met Jason in karate class after he had moved to Angel Grove, and how he had thought that Jason would never be someone he'd be a friend with. Trini laughed at the story, and commented that she was grateful they had all become friends, only wishing that Kimberly didn't have to leave their group.

Jason looked up as the phone rang, bringing him out of his daze.

"Mom! The phone's ringing!" he called out, hoping that she would answer the phone and save him the effort of getting up to answer it. His mother worked a lot of hours from home, and as always Jason assumed the caller would be after his mother who was one of the city's leading youth psychologists and social workers.

He groaned when it continued to ring and reluctantly got up, running over to grab the phone before the answering machine picked up. "Hello, this is the Scott residence, this is Jason speaking."

"Hi Jason," a quiet voice spoke from the other end.

"Kimberly!" he exclaimed, surprised to hear from her. He waited for her to respond, and was worried that the line had dropped out when she didn't say anything. "Are you okay?" he finally asked, hearing that she was sniffling.

"My uncle Steve is making me leave for Los Angeles tomorrow...I don't wanna go..." she whispered.

Jason held his breath as he tried to conjure the best response. He was already aware that Kimberly's Uncle from Los Angeles had decided to take her into his care, but Jason had been trying all week not to think about it.

"I know you don't want to go..." he finally responded.

"I tried to tell him that I don't want to go, that I don't want to leave Angel Grove, but everyone keeps on telling me it will be okay," she told him, "But it won't be okay, Jason, I won't be able to pretend that I'm okay in some strange city where I don't know anyone," she stopped and Jason could here her sobbing, "I don't want to go to some strange school, I-I wanna stay with you guys...I miss my mom and dad, they would never do this to me!" She cried into the phone hysterically.

"Kimberly," he spoke up, "I know you're upset right now, but you know that your uncle wants to look after you..." he gently tried to reason, hearing her sobs turn into crying. His mother had explained it to Jason in that manner, and while Jason himself was angry that Kimberly had to move, he thought that maybe he could try to make her feel better if she remembered that her family wanted to look after her.

The seconds ticked over and her strained sobbing continued. He sighed, "Are you still at your grandparents, I can get my mom to drive me over to see you..."

"No, it's okay," she suddenly responded calmly, "I'd just get too upset if I saw you now."

"But I want to see you before you go," he pointed out, "What time are you leaving?"

"Early in the morning...you won't be able to come, you have school," she replied dismally.

"That doesn't matter, Kim, you know my mom will let me have the morning off, and you know the others will be able to come, too."

She sniffled. "Do you really think so?" she asked, hope finally appearing in her voice.

"Definitely," he replied, "You know Kim, nothing will change, we'll stay in touch all the time."

"Yeah, you say that now, but in a few weeks time you will all forget about me..."

"I promise you," he assured her, "We'll be able to visit in the holidays, talk on the phone, and even write to each other."

"I don't wanna go..."

"It will be okay," he tried to tell her, slumping his shoulders. He turned as he noticed his mother walk into the room, "Hang on a sec," he said quickly to Kimberly as he covered the receiver with his free hand.

"Who's on the phone?" His mother asked.

"It's Kimberly...she's calling to tell me that she's leaving for Los Angeles tomorrow morning...I know there's school tomorrow, but is it okay if I can go to say goodbye?" he asked, knowing that there was no way his mother would tell him no.

"Of course," his mother replied, "I spoke to Kimberly's uncle this morning to make arrangements."

He quickly put the phone back to his ear. "Hey Kimberly, sorry about that, I was checking with my mom that it is okay for me to come and say goodbye to you tomorrow."

"You're really gonna come?"

"Of course...plus there's something I wanna give you..." his sentence trailed off as he could hear talking in the background on Kimberly's end of the line.

"I've gotta go, Jase, dinner's ready," she reported unhappily.

"Just remember, we won't forget about you here...I promise you."

"See you tomorrow," she told him.

"Sleep well, Kimberly."

He hung up the phone and dropped back down on the couch, barely looking up as his mother came over and sat down on the recliner opposite him. She leaned over and ruffled his hair gently. "Are you okay?" she asked.

He nodded, wishing that she would go so he could be alone. "I just feel so bad for Kimberly...she's really upset," he finally spoke.

"She's had a terribly difficult two weeks...much harder than most children her age have to deal with."

"It's just so unfair that so much bad stuff is happening to her...she's lost her parents, everything she owns, and now she has to move away from her friends."

His mother looked at him thoughtfully, and Jason knew that she was trying to think of something that would make him feel better. "It's hard for anyone to understand..." she began, "When something so tragic happens for no reason, it's hard for everyone involved to know how to feel or where to direct their anger..."

Jason pursed his lips and lifted his feet back onto the coffee table. "I'm not one of your patients, mom..." He didn't mean to sound bitter.

"I know that, Jason, but at the same time I've been involved with a lot of situations similar to this, and I know how hard it is feeling like there is nothing you can do to help," she explained.

"I just wish she didn't have to move..." he admitted glumly.

"I know you do, baby," she soothed. "You two have been friends for so many years...I still remember the two of you fighting over play blocks at your first day of kindergarten...but your friendship doesn't have to stop, I promise you we will try to visit when your father gets leave from work, and you'll be able to write..."

He nodded sullenly and stood up and walked over to the phone on the wall. "I'm going to call Trini, Zack and Billy now, if it's okay...I want to make sure they'll be able to come to say goodbye to Kimberly tomorrow."

"Of course," she replied, standing up. "I'll speak to their parents and give them the details."

"Thanks mom."

He began dialing Trini's phone number, wishing he didn't have to make the same, sad phone call to each of his friends. They'd been close friends for years now and he never thought the day would come when their group would be split up_...we've always been in the same classes, and always hung out together after school and on weekends...it's just not gonna be the same without her_...he thought to himself as Trini's mother answered the phone.

---

**Next in Episode One: 'A New Beginning'** - _Kimberly's life takes several new twists as she struggles with life away from Angel Grove and her closest friends. As she tries to cope with the aftermath of one fateful night, will her friends be able to help her? And what will happen when she's given an opportunity that will change her life in a way she never could have imagined?_

Please review and let me know what you think!


	2. Ep1: A New Beginning

**R&R: REBIRTH OF THE LEGACY**

**A New Beginning - Episode 1**

By Chanelle Summer

_A/N-**Thankyou all for your reviews** (I read them all, and I use to reply to every one, but I've recently been told that some writers have had their stories pulled from the site for personally replying each chapter. So for now, know that I am reading your comments, even though I haven't personally replied!) Okay, so all the chapters from now on are an 'episode' as such, and they are long. Very long (like 2 times longer than normal for me). So, take your time reading, but don't forget to review and let me know your thoughts, good or bad, even a short message will do. This is all such a new concept to me, and so of course I'm slightly nervous about it. This 'episode' is a little long winded, but it simply couldn't be avoided because of the amount of description, etc that was required to really set the scene and story. A lot of things may seem irrelevant, but as with all my stories, every little detail counts and little things may be hints to what will come up later in the story. I know these chapters have been very Kimberly and Jason focused, but it's only because it has been necessary. The other's will __all have their time to shine in the episodes coming up soon. _

* * *

**_6 months later… _**

**_The Spencer Residence, Los Angeles_ **

**_Monday, 9th September 1991_**

Kimberly walked up the narrow corridor lined with photo frames, and then quickly bounded up the carpeted stairs to her bedroom on the second story of her Los Angeles home. She flounced through the slightly ajar door, and dropped her backpack in the middle of the floor, before scrambling cross-legged on to her bed. She couldn't contain the delight in her heart, knowing that nothing could have made her happier then getting home from school that day, and finding a letter waiting for her from Jason.

She pulled the envelope apart, and smiled as she removed a Polaroid of her friends back in Angel Grove. The sweetness of seeing them in the candid, though, became quickly overshadowed by bitterness as she thought about how long it had been since she'd seen them in person.

_It's been five months_, she thought to herself sadly.

Five months had passed and not a single day had gone by when Kimberly didn't think about the times she had shared with her friends, and much she wished that her life didn't have to be the way it was.

Her life just was not the same anymore.

She unfolded the paper, her eyes widening with surprise when she noticed his words had been typed, in place of his usual handwriting:

_Dear Kimberly,_

_Hi, how are you? If you can't already tell, my mom and dad brought a computer, so that's why I am typing this letter to you. Pretty cool, isn't it?_

_So, I know we talked on the phone only last week, but I was wondering how school is going? School this year has been pretty easy, but we do get a lot more homework. Both Zack and I are trying out for the football team soon. Billy is still the smartest kid in class. I'm starting to think that he may be the smartest kid in the whole of Angel Grove, if not the entire world. Trini still misses you, and tells me nearly every day how much she wishes you were here. So you told me you've met some cool people at school, that's awesome. Maybe when I come to visit soon I'll be able to meet them._

_Do they have a gymnastics team there? The gym is awesome at our school, much bigger then what was at our last school. They also have an awesome cafeteria._

_How have your meetings been going with the counselor? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but if you want to you can. You know I'm use to it all because of my mom, she talks about you a lot and says that she has talked to your uncle a lot. She's always asking me how you are doing, but don't worry, I always tell her that everything is fine. Some kids have asked me where you are, and I told them that you moved. I thought that everyone knew by now what had happened._

_Anyway, I better go. We have started these time tests in math's class, and today I didn't do very good. So, now I'm going to practice. Mom's making me do at least an hour a day before I get to do anything else!_

_Talk to you later, Jason._

_P.S: I have included a photo of us four, thought you would like it. _

Kimberly sighed rather bleakly and dropped the piece of paper back in her lap as the bedroom door slowly opened up. Kimberly was expecting her cousin to come up and get her, being that she was already well aware of the usual after-school routine her babysitter had in place for her while her uncle was at work.

"Kimberly, come down stairs and have something to eat," Chelsea Spencer, her seventeen-year-old cousin asked her. She rested a hand on her hip, but her stance wasn't domineering and as always, her voice was calm and even.

Kimberly lifted the piece of paper to show her. "I was just reading a letter I got from my friend Jason," she quickly explained. "Plus, I'm not really hungry."

Chelsea sighed and wondered through the doorway, dropping down on her bed that was across from Kimberly's. At times it still felt very odd for Kimberly to be sharing her bedroom with someone, and during the times when she wanted to be alone, she really wished that she had her own area to go to.

"Do you have any homework to do?" Chelsea asked her, motioning to Kimberly's backpack that was still sitting in the center of the room.

Kimberly nodded reluctantly. "I have to do some math's questions and some comprehension," she admitted, thinking to the dreaded revision she'd been given in class that day.

Chelsea stood up, and walked towards the door. "Okay, well make sure you get it done, I'll check it over for you later if you like," she told her, "I've got a friend coming over, so if you need me I'll be downstairs," she told Kimberly.

Kimberly nodded, and then flopped back on her bed as her cousin shut the door, allowing Kimberly the peace she had been longing after. She picked up the lonesome Polaroid that was sitting on her blanket and held it above her face, staring at the smiling faces of friends that were so familiar to her, yet with each passing week were turning into distant memories.

Life was almost too hard for her. She didn't really like her new school, and found all the kids to be different both socially and in the way they dressed. Kimberly had never found it challenging to make friends in the past, and while she had made a few friends to sit with in class and at lunch, she just didn't feel like she fit in.

Not to mention, she hated living in Los Angeles. It wasn't the sort of place that she could just get on her bike and go for a ride. The roads were busy and neither her Uncle Steve nor Chelsea let her go anywhere on her own. She missed how she used to be able to walk to her friends' houses or go to the lake or the park and play basketball. Sure, she had a lot of fun times with her new family, but because of her Uncle's demanding work load and her cousin's busy social life, those experiences were sometimes few and far between.

She loved her Uncle very much, but even after many months had passed, she still couldn't stand living without her parents. In her new house they did everything different. They ate different meals, watched different television programs and had different rules. Her uncle provided her with everything she needed or wanted, but it wasn't enough to overcome the major loss of her parents. It was the loneliest feeling in the world.

Kimberly tried to stay in close contact with her friend's back at Angel Grove, but since the start of the last summer break, there had been greater gaps in between their letters and phone calls. Sometimes it made her sad and homesick talking to them, but then other times she longed to speak to them because for a brief moment it made her feel like the old times. None of them had been able to visit her since she'd been living in Los Angeles, and because of her Uncle's strict roster at work, she hadn't been able to visit Angel Grove.

_My old life is like a dream_, she thought dismally to herself, as she cried silently on her bed. It wasn't unusual for her to crawl up into a ball on her own and cry about missing her parents or her old life. She had a lot of adults trying to help her deal with what had happened, but there was still a lot they couldn't do and Kimberly was still finding it hard to open up about everything to them.

Kimberly's ears perked up as she heard the phone ring and Chelsea's sudden voice call up from downstairs. "Kimberly! Telephone call for you!"

Kimberly scrambled off the bed and ran over to her cousin's phone on her bedside table, lifting the receiver to her ear with anticipation. _I wonder who it is?_ "Hello?"

"Hey Kimberly!"

Kimberly's eyes widened. "Trini!" She squealed into the phone.

"How are you going?" Trini asked her.

"I'm great!" Kimberly blurted out. She was so excited to hear her best friend's voice that she'd completely forgotten that she'd only moments ago been crying her eyes out.

"So, what are you doing?"

"Not much, I was just about to do some math's homework," Kimberly explained, "But it's sooo boring, and it's kinda hard. What have you been up to?"

Kimberly held the phone tightly as her friend relayed the moments that had taken place in Angel Grove since they'd last spoken together. She managed a giggle or a sigh along the way, trying to not get upset when that feeling of homesickness came rushing over her.

"...but yeah, everything is new, but good!" Trini paused, and Kimberly could hear voices in the background. "Um, there's someone here who wants to talk to you, here," Kimberly waited apprehensively, wondering who would want to talk to her at the Kwan residence.

"Hi Kimberly!" Jason's voice greeted her from the other side.

"Oh my gosh, hi Jase!" she gushed back, "How weird, I just got your letter in the post today!"

"Really? Hey it got there quick...cool news about the computer, isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's awesome..." Kimberly replied.

"So anyway, Trini told you everything, there's not much news. Just a lot school work to be done."

"Yeah, same here..."

"You okay, you sound a bit weird?" he asked her.

_Trust Jason to notice something like that,_ she thought quickly to herself.

"No, I'm fine," she lied, "I'm just tired from school."

"Yeah, same here...so um, how is everything going...your counseling and stuff?" His voice came through much quieter this time, almost as if he was whispering.

Kimberly let out a little breath. "Um, it's okay...I'll write to you all about it in my letter," she added quickly, wanting to make sure that Jason knew she trusted him.

"Cool, well you better write back soon. I better go, talk to you soon."

"Bye Jase," she said almost breathless, disappointed he had ended the conversation.

"Hey, Kim, me again!" Trini's perky voice babbled back.

* * *

**_Angel Grove_ **

**_Friday 13th September 1991_**

"Hey sweetie, I'm in here!"

Jason fumbled around and removed his shoes as he walked through the front door after a long day of school, surprised to hear that his mother was already home. He heard hushed voices from up ahead and so he dropped his backpack on the ground and headed through the hallway towards the living room.

He momentarily stopped as he spotted his mother and a young boy drinking a cup of soda at the dining table.

_Must be one of mom's patients, _Jason thought to himself.

It wasn't unusual in his mother's line of work for her to sometimes bring young children temporarily to their home. It usually happened in cases where some serious incident had happened with the child's parents, or when an episode had happened with the child and there was no legal guardian able to stand in for the young individual. His mother was primarily involved in therapy and counseling of children, and after doing it Jason's entire life, he was very much use to it.

"Hey honey, how was school?" His mother asked him as Jason headed for the fridge.

"It was okay," he replied, as he leafed through the shelves piled with a variety of foods.

"If you feel like it, there's some fresh cookies I baked on the bench," her voice came through, perking up his ears.

He pulled back and instantly looked for the delicious treats.

"Jason, this young man with me here is Andrew," she announced as Jason grabbed three cookies and headed for the dining table.

Jason offered the boy a small smile to welcome him, and his small hazel eyes lit up back at the teenager. "Hi Andrew, how old are you?" Jason asked the boy.

"I'm seven," Andrew replied in an enthusiastic voice.

"Oh, by the way, this letter came for you," his mother quickly spoke up, passing Jason a small envelope. Jason smiled to himself, knowing from the pink, perfumed stationary used that it was from Kimberly.

He stood up and walked over to one of the couches in front of the television, dropping down on the suede fabric. He carelessly ripped open the envelope at the top and removed the neatly folded matching writing paper. As always, her writing was tidy and flawless:

_Dear Jason, _

_How are you? Well, I just spoke to you on the phone so I know you're good. I'm supposed to be doing me homework but I'm writing to you instead. I'm really glad you guys called me. It made me so happy. When Trini told me about all the fun things you've been doing, I just kept wishing I were there with you. Things here have been good. School is going okay, but I haven't been doing gymnastics or anything yet. I guess I haven't felt like it, and it's really hard for me to get around sometimes because I have to rely on my cousin Chelsea. My counseling sessions have been all right. I'm still going once a week and the lady is pretty nice. Sometimes I don't know what to say, so I just sit there and look at this big fish tank she has in her office, but she doesn't seem to mind. There's some things I want to tell you, but I don't know how to write about it. When we chat in a few weeks time I'll let you know._

_Anyway, I can't think of anything else much to write. Thanks for your letter, hope you write back soon. Say hi to the others for me._

_Love, Kimberly._

_P.S- I've included a photo taken a few weeks ago. My uncle took it when we spent the day at the beach._

Jason quickly glanced at the photo. Kimberly was smiling like usual, but she still looked sad, at least to Jason.

_What things would she want to tell me on the phone that she can't write about? _He wondered to himself, _Does she want me to call her sooner?_

He quickly got up from the couch and walked over to the phone on the wall. "Mom, is it okay if I quickly call Kimberly?" He asked her hopefully, "It's kinda important."

Mrs. Scott nodded. "Sure, I'm taking Andrew home now. Don't stay on the phone for too long, and say hello to her from me."

He smiled and waited until he heard his mother and her young visitor leave and then quickly dialed Kimberly's number off the telephone number list that hung above the phone.

"Hello, this is Kimberly speaking," his friend's voice answered his call after only two rings.

"Hey Kimmy!" Jason greeted, using the nickname he knew she didn't like, but which always made her laugh.

"Jason!" She sounded remarkably happy to hear from him. "I didn't think we planned to call for another couple of weeks..."

"Yeah, but I got your letter today..."

"Oh..." her voice went quiet, and they both remained fleetingly silent.

He bit his lip when she didn't speak, knowing that he had to be the one to break the ice. "Are you all right, Kim?" He finally asked her.

"Yeah, I uh..." she sighed, "There's things I wanna tell you, but I don't want you to think I'm a weirdo."

Jason frowned. "Why would I think that?" He asked confused.

"'Cos, weird things have been happening to me, but I haven't told anyone...you're the only one..."

"Well, you can trust me..." he offered. He was apprehensive at that stage, nervous as to what she was going to reveal to him. He knew he was reasonably confident at listening to others' problems, mostly thanks to his mother's line of work, but he had never really been in the position where the person was a close friend.

"I've been having dreams, bad dreams...they keep me awake nearly every night..."

"What kind of bad dreams?" He asked her when her sentence trailed off.

"Fire...Um, I dream about fire. I know what you're thinking, that it's because of what happened. That's what my counselor told me. There are more than just the dreams, though, there's something else that is bothering me. I don't know if you can help me, but do you know what happened that day before the fire?"

Jason paused, taking in her words while quickly thinking back to that fateful day many months ago. "Why do you want to know?" He asked her gently.

"Because I can't remember..." her voice was cracking, her squeaky tone becoming higher with each word spoken. "I try so hard, but I can't remember what I did that day!"

"We went to school," he began, hoping that by talking she would stop getting upset, "It was just a normal day at school...but I remember that you didn't want to walk home with us that day. You said that your mom was picking you up from school...that's the last time I saw you before the fire." He listened as she sniffled, but didn't speak up. "I don't understand why what you did that day would upset you so much..." He admitted, honestly.

"Because I keep on dreaming about it," she quietly replied, "I keep on dreaming about fire...but I keep dreaming about this man, this man that starts fire..."

"A man? Like in real life, or just a guy in your dreams?"

"I don't know," she exhaled. "Anyway, it doesn't matter..." She added dismally.

"Kimberly," he began, "If you're scared, you need to tell someone who can help you...that's why you have a therapist..."

"Yeah," she nearly snorted, "But I can't tell her half of it, I don't want people thinking I'm weird!"

"But that's their job!" He argued back. He was silently annoyed that she was being so stubborn. "Maybe you could talk to my mom?" He suggested, knowing that Kimberly had always seemed to like his mother.

He heard her sigh again. "No, I'm okay," she told him. "It's all right, I'll be fine..."

He sighed and waited patiently as he heard background noise on Kimberly's end.

"Um, look I gotta go Jase," Her voice came though, her tone now empty of any sadness, "Chelsea's dropping me off to my therapist's appointment now, but thanks for calling..."

"It's okay," he told her, "I'll write back to your letter as soon as I can," he promised her.

"Cool...well, thanks again Jase, talk to you later..."

"Yeah, talk to you soon, Kim..."

He hung the phone back on the wall, and stared blankly ahead. He was torn, divided between feelings of loyalty to his friend's trust, and the feeling that he had to step up and tell an adult that she needed help. He didn't know what to do.

* * *

"Kimberly?" 

Kimberly reluctantly pulled her eyes away from the sanctuary of the fluorescent light and looked at the middle-aged woman indifferently. She hated this part of their consultations, the part where Dr. Melinda Bowen tried to extract some kind of insight from Kimberly that she had not yet divulged. It was the same routine they had played for months now, but today Kimberly didn't feel like giving in.

Instead she reached over for a picture frame that was sitting on the psychiatrist's desk, and peered at the photo in the wooden frame.

"Who is this with you?" Kimberly asked, keeping her eyes at the image in her hands.

"That's my fiancé," Dr.Bowen replied, "He's a doctor at the hospital."

Kimberly was disappointed when the lady leaned forward and gently took the frame from Kimberly's hand, knowing that she could no longer stall the inevitable.

"Tell me about your dream."

Kimberly slumped her head against her chair. "We're always talking about them..." she mumbled, before sighing. "I dreamt about a boy," she finally admitted, thinking back to the dream that had woken her up at four in the morning, "I haven't seen him before...he was dressed in blue, and he had dark hair and dark eyes..."

"And what did the boy do?"

Kimberly straightened herself up and shrugged. "I don't know, I can't really remember...he was in a plane, a small plane and it went crashing to the ground..." her sentence trailed off and she finally looked directly at Dr.Bowen who was watching her thoughtfully.

The counselor leaned over. "So, you didn't dream about fire?"

Kimberly shook her head. "No," she replied honestly, "Not last night."

"Have you had any more dreams about monsters, about invasions on earth?"

Kimberly nearly sniggered, thinking about how ridiculous it sounded. She was still embarrassed she'd admitted those dreams to Dr. Bowen and wished the doctor would stop bringing them up. _It makes me sound crazy_...she thought annoyed.

She finally shook her head. "No, not recently...maybe that's a sign that I'm not as crazy anymore?" She added sarcastically, and quickly diverted her gaze back to the large fish tank nearby.

"Kimberly, dreams do not show if somebody is crazy, and I can assure you that I and a lot of other people have dreams about strange things. I only ask you because I know that you are having a large amount of sleeping difficulties, and so it helps me to determine what may be the cause," Dr Bowen explained to her gently.

Kimberly sighed. "I just really miss my old life," she stated, the comment coming from nowhere. "I wish I could see my old friends again...I miss them all so much. Just before I came here today, my friend Jason called me and it reminded me how much I wish he was here."

"Tell me about them," the doctor stated, the comment taking Kimberly off guard. "Tell me about your old friends...I know you've mentioned them to me before, but I'd love it if you shared with me a bit about them and what they mean to you."

Kimberly blinked, surprised by the doctor's request. "Well, my best friend is Jason, he's turning thirteen in October, and we've been friends since kindergarten...he's really into sports and stuff, but he's always been really nice to me. My other best friend is Trini, I met her in kindergarten as well. She's already thirteen and she use to live down the road from my old house. We use to do everything together, like have sleep overs and spend time at the park," she paused for a breath.

"That's important," Dr.Bowen agreed, "It's very important to have friends who you can trust."

"Then, there's Zack, he just turned thirteen, too. He was a good friend with Jason since he moved to Angel Grove in like the second grade, and that's how I became friends with him. He's always happy and fun to be around, really nice to everyone. Then there's another boy, Billy...he's really, really smart. Like, he's a million times smarter than me, and his dad is like a scientist. He's still only twelve, like me and he was also Jason's friend. I don't know him quite as well as my other friends, but I liked to be around him because he's good to talk to. He's had a sad life."

"What do you mean by 'sad'?"

"His mom died like two years ago from a disease," Kimberly explained, "He was really sad, it was hard for us as his friends to make him happy after it happened..." Kimberly shrugged, "I guess that's how I think my friends must feel about me...I didn't think they'd want to bother with me anymore, but they still write and call sometimes..."

"Have they been to visit you yet?" She asked.

Kimberly shook her head. "No, their parents all have busy jobs," Kimberly confessed, "I've been wanting to go back and visit, but my uncle is so busy with work. Also, I think he doesn't want me to go back for a while because he thinks it might upset me."

"Is that what he has told you?"

Kimberly thought about the question, and then shook her head again. "I just know that's what he thinks...he's very protective of me and wants me to be happy."

The psychiatrist offered Kimberly a gentle smile. "Why don't you ask your uncle about arranging a trip? I'm sure if you share with him your feelings, then he'd only be too happy to try and get you to see your friends...your grandparents live in Angel Grove also, is that correct?"

"Yes," Kimberly replied. "I think I might wait until closer to Christmas, maybe if I show that I did good at school he might be okay with it."

Dr. Bowen nodded, and then looked up as there was a knock at the door. Kimberly already knew from looking at the time on the clock that it would be her uncle, and watched as her therapist walked over and opened the door.

"Hi Uncle Steve," Kimberly greeted, as she leaned over and grabbed her backpack, before heading for the door.

"How you doing, sweetheart?" He greeted, giving her a quick hug. He cleared his throat, "Do you mind if I talk to Dr.Bowen for a moment? I'll meet you outside," he said.

Kimberly tried to conceal her confusion and quickly nodded her head. "Sure," she obliged, as she walked out into the quiet waiting room, her eyes fixed on the ajar door to the psychiatrist's office. She quickly glanced at a boy who was sitting at the other side of the room, but he had his back turned to her, and so she turned back to the door and ignored him.

_I wonder what they're talking about?_ Kimberly wondered to herself. She knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but couldn't contain her curiosity. She had been use to adults sharing hushed words to each other about her over the past half year, but something told her there was something odd in her Uncle's voice.

"…but, from what I can tell, she has a large reluctance to settle in here. That is not at all unusual in these cases, and it will take time, but I sympathize with your concerns and agree that it could be in the best interest of Kimberly."

Kimberly heard her uncle sigh at the doctor's words. "I just feel in the long run, Kimberly would be happier…I want to do what is best for her…I guess I will talk more about it and see what is best."

Kimberly turned her head away from the crack in the door and quickly sat back down, thoughts spinning around in her mind. _What does Uncle Steve think would be best for me? _

* * *

**_2 months later… _**

**_Friday, November 1st, 1991_**

Fall was slowly transforming into the soft beginnings of a cold winter in Angel Grove, and Jason cursed along the way as muddy water splashed up his bare legs as he made his way home from school. He sniggered at some of the Halloween decorations still displayed in people's front yards, and his mood picked up as he remembered the bucket of candy that was waiting for him at home.

He walked through the front gate, making his way up the paved path that led to the front door of his double-story house. He reached into his bag for his key, and put it to the lock, surprised when he found the door was already unlocked. He frowned nervously and then slowly opened the door.

"Hello?" He called out slightly apprehensively.

"We're in the living room, honey," he heard his mother's voice reply, and Jason relaxed, kicking his shoes off before trudging his way down the short hallway which led into their open living area. He instantly noticed his parents both sitting at the dining table and quickly glanced at the clock.

_It's only four a clock_, he thought confused, _why would both mom and dad already be home at this time, together? Mom doesn't usually finish until five on Fridays, and neither does dad…_

"What's wrong?" Jason asked as he dropped his backpack on the breakfast bar and headed over to where his parents were seated.

"Nothing's wrong," his mother replied, "There's just something important your father and I want to talk to you about."

Jason instantly frowned; A_dults only say those words when you've done something wrong_..."Am I in trouble?" He questioned as he sat down opposite them.

They both shook their heads, and his mother offered him a smile. "No honey, it's nothing like that...it's about Kimberly."

Jason cocked his head surprised. "Kimberly?" He repeated, suddenly feeling worried. "Is she okay, has something happened?"

"No, she's fine...we wanted to let you know that we've been speaking a lot to her uncle Steve over the last few months, and as you probably already know from speaking to Kimberly, she's been very unhappy in LA."

Jason nodded. "She misses Angel Grove," he admitted.

"Her uncle Steve was hopeful that Kimberly would have settled in by now, and although she's been very brave, her uncle feels that it might be in Kimberly's best interest if she was back living in Angel Grove."

Jason stared at his mother surprised. "They're moving to Angel Grove?" He asked.

His father shook his head. "Unfortunately, her uncle is unable to move here...he can't leave his job at the airline and he has his own children settled there, as it is their home town," he replied.

"I don't get it," Jason admitted confused, unsure of where the conversation was supposed to be going.

His mother reached out her hand across the wooden table. "Sweetheart, I'm going to ask you something, and I want you to be completely honest," she said to him.

"Okay..."

"How would you feel if Kimberly came here to live in our house, with us?"

Jason's eyes' widened. "In our house?" He asked surprised.

"Yes," his father confirmed, "Just like she's part of our family."

"Are you being serious?" Jason exclaimed, blinking his eyes several times. "That would be awesome!"

"It wouldn't bother you? Having to share your house with someone else?" His mother asked him.

Jason shook his head dismissively. "No way, it would be fun! Does Kimberly know about this, she hasn't said anything on the phone to me about it..."

"Her uncle is talking with her today about it to see how she feels about the idea, we didn't want to say too much to you guys until we knew for sure that it was something we would all consider doing," his mother explained.

"Well, I already know she'll want to," Jason said to them confidently. _There's no way she wouldn't want to come back here, she tells me every phone call and letter how much she wishes she was still living here..._

"I'm sure she will as well, but don't forget Jason that what Kimberly says to you on the phone may be different to how she really feels inside. She may not want to live with us. Remember, this arrangement is a big one, and it will be permanent. If Kimberly comes here, we will become her legal guardians and she'll become part of our family just like you are. It's a decision we don't want to make if you don't feel comfortable with it."

Jason thought about it for a minute, realizing that he couldn't think of a single reason why he wouldn't want Kimberly to live with him. _Sure it would be a little weird living with a girl, and I suppose it could be annoying sometimes, but we're both friends and at least we'd both have someone to hang out with everyday...and then we'd finally be a group again, and Kimberly would maybe stop being so sad all the time..._

"No, I wanna do it," Jason assured his parents.

* * *

**_Sunday, December 8th, 1991_ **

"No, I don't think you should put that there," Jason said, as Zack tried numerous arrangements of knick-knacks on the newly purchased vanity table.

It was early afternoon, just over a month after that fateful discussion Jason had had with his parents about Kimberly. Today, Jason had spent the entire day working with Zack, Billy and Trini on decorating Kimberly's new bedroom at his house. He had helped his father paint the roomy area a misty pink the week before hand, and now it was their job to make her room look as much like 'Kimberly' as possible.

_Maybe we should have let my mom do this..._Jason thought to himself.

"Here," Trini spoke up, handing Jason a heart shaped photo frame, "Put this beside her bed, she'll really like that."

Jason placed the frame under the bedside lamp and stepped back, as Billy nodded his head in approval. "I think this looks ideal for Kim," he announced.

Trini slumped her arm casually around Jason's shoulders. "She is going to love it!" she beamed.

"Yeah, everything's pink," Zack commented, "You know that girl's crazy over anything pink."

"Lets go have a break," Jason suggested, motioning to his friends to follow him out and across to his bedroom next-door. Jason flopped down on his double bed, Trini dropping down in her usual spot beside him. Billy took his seat at Jason's desk and Zack dropped down on his beanbag next to the bed.

Zack leaned up and pressed the 'on' button for the television, a toothy grin flashing on his face as the screen lit up. "Man, I love this show," he commented, as he arranged himself comfortably.

They all stared at the television for a few minutes, before Jason looked away. "Thanks guys for helping today," he said aloud.

"Not a problem, I'm just so excited about Friday," Trini replied, "She's really going to love her room."

Jason smiled and nodded, glad to see his pretty friend so happy. He knew how close Trini and Kimberly were, and understood how hard it was on Trini being without her over the many months that had passed.

"Isn't it gonna be weird having a girl live here when she's not your real sister?" Zack asked from the floor below, propping himself up so they could all see him. "I mean, I love Darlene, Janet and Debbie, but had I not been used to them, I don't know how I'd feel suddenly having to share my house with them."

Jason shrugged. "It doesn't bother me, unlike all you guys, I never had anyone to play with growing up...it'll be fun having someone to hang out with every day," he explained.

"Yeah, but you'll have to share your bathroom with her, and here's some advice from someone with experience, I can tell you that girls spend hours in the bathroom doing their hair and stuff...and they are always talking on the phone and-."

"Zack, I think you're forgetting that Jason and Kimberly have been friends for a very long time," Billy pointed out.

"And, just think how cool it will be, we can visit the both of you at the same time!" Trini added with a smile.

Zack continued to look thoughtfully Jason's way, making Jason roll his eyes. "So, now that you and Kimberly are gonna be living together, does that make you brother and sister?" Zack asked him.

"I dunno," Jason replied, not really thinking about the situation like that. "I think that would be kinda weird, you know, we've been friends all this time...it would be strange if I thought of her like that."

_Because brothers and sisters always fight with each other, _Jason thought to himself. His friends were always complaining about how irritating their siblings were, and Jason certainly didn't want to lose Kimberly's friendship for that.

"What, so you're like husband and wife then?" Zack teased.

Trini picked up the pillow from behind her and tossed it playfully his way. "No, I would think we should all think of it as two friends living together," she suggested. "Maybe in a few years time you might get use to being brother and sister?"

They all looked up as Jason's mother appeared at the doorway, and Jason missed his chance to reply to Trini's proposal. "Trini, Billy, your parents are both here to take you home," his mother announced.

"See you guys," Trini said as she and Billy left, leaving Jason alone with Zack.

Zack broke out into a loud laugh as something caught his attention on the television, and Jason couldn't help but laugh along at the cartoon with him. The two teenagers watched the program, transfixed for over five minutes, before an advertisement flashed across the screen, a classic Christmas chime ringing from the television speakers.

"I can't wait until Christmas," Zack commented.

Jason nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I really hope I get some videos I've wanted for ages," he admitted, "Or maybe a new bike..."

"I really wish I'd get a television for my room," Zack revealed, "You don't know how lucky you've got it, I mean it's near impossible trying to watch what I like every afternoon when I've got Darlene wanting to watch the Bold and the Beautiful..." Zack reached his hand up to his mouth and pretended to gag, and Jason laughed.

"Mom and Dad took me shopping yesterday for a present for Kimberly," Jason revealed. "We wanted to get her something really cool for Christmas, and I suggested a guitar. She use to tell me all the time she wanted to learn an instrument, and well, we decided a guitar would be cool."

"It's really good what your parents are doing for Kimberly," Zack suddenly stated, "It will be good to see her happy again."

"Yeah, it will be fun to have things back the way they were," Jason agreed.

"Zack! Your sister just called and asked you to come home now!" the two boys heard Jason's mother call out from the other end of the house.

Zack reluctantly got up. "Okay, I better go, I'll see ya tomorrow Jase," he said, before he left.

Jason leaned over and picked his pillow up from the ground, positioning it back at the end of his bed so he could watch the television more comfortably. He had less than a week before he would have to share his house with Kimberly, and that realization made him both excited and nervous.

He stretched his legs out and tried to turn his attention back to the television program, trying not to think about the problems Zack said that Jason would have now that he would be living with a girl.

* * *

**_Thursday, December 12th, 1991 _**

Kimberly stared out at the clear night's sky as familiar streets of her old neighborhood passed her by. It had been over nine months since she'd last seen her hometown and in a lot of ways she felt as though she was visiting Angel Grove for the first time.

_I suppose it is like a new life_, she reminded herself as the houses whirled passed her through the passenger window. Today was a combination of all her hopes and fears, and she squirmed in her seat as she felt butterflies tumble around in her stomach.

She turned her head as she recognized the street name and took a small breath as Mr. Scott pulled into the driveway of their corner-block home.

Kimberly sat motionless for a moment, a strange feeling stirring her like never before. She'd been to Jason's house probably a hundred times in her life, but she'd never imagined she'd one day be living with him.

It was a typical two-story home, with manicured gardens and lawns, complete with an underground pool in the backyard. It was a place she had hung out at with her friends on countless afternoons and for numerous sleepovers, yet for some reason she couldn't muster the courage to burst through the front door and claim it as her own.

_Come on Kimberly, it's time to start your new life..._

"You okay?" Jason's father asked her gently.

She sighed and nodded her head. "Yeah, it just feels a bit weird," she admitted to him.

Kimberly had always liked Jason's dad, because although he was tough at times, he never stopped them from doing fun things. It was one of the reasons why the 'gang' had always usually hung at Jason's house, because both of his parents genuinely enjoyed having them there.

_And now they're like my parents_..."You ready to go inside?" he asked and she courageously nodded.

She hopped out of the passenger seat and walked along the neatly paved path to the front door. She was about to knock when the door suddenly swung open, and she came face to face with Jason's mother.

"Hi Mrs. Scott," she greeted with a little wave.

Kath smiled down at her and opened her arms. Kimberly smiled back and walked in to embrace the woman, unable to hold back from the lady who had helped her so much in the previous months. "It's so good to see you," Kimberly heard her say.

She gently pulled back, and Kimberly noticed Jason standing behind his mother. He was dressed neatly in a checkered shirt and black pants, his dark hair short, but neatly combed. Kimberly didn't know whether he looked nervous or surprised to see her, as he stood on his own, silently watching her. _He looks different, older,_ she thought to himself, _I like his haircut..._

"Hey Jase," she said to him with another little wave.

He smiled back at her. "Hey Kim," he replied back.

"So Jason, why don't you show Kimberly her room?" His mother suggested, "And I'll make you both a cup of cocoa."

Jason nodded. "Sure, come this way Kim," he said to her and the two friends began up the hallway to the right. "You already know my parents' room and stuff is upstairs, so you and I get the bathroom downstairs..." Kimberly nodded and then stopped as they got to the end of the hallway.

"Okay, close your eyes," Jason told her, as they turned to a door with a wooden sign that read 'Kim'.

She eyed him suspiciously, and then slowly obliged with his request. She heard the squeak of the door as it opened and felt Jason's warm hand take hers as he guided her into the room.

_I wonder what the big surprise is about? _She wondered to herself, trying her best to not peek_, I love surprises..._

"Okay, you can open them now," he announced. She lifted her shoulders in anticipation and then quickly snapped her eyes open, almost falling over as she came face to face with what was to be her new bedroom.

It was the ultimate expression of strawberry kisses, everything being a shade of pink, with touches of cream in just the right places. The walls were pink, and in the center of the room sat a cream brass bed witha princess-themed net hanging over the top end. The bed was piled high with patchwork pillows, every single item perfectly matching the one beside it.

_It looks just like in the magazines!_

She walked over to the bed, touching the silky feel cover with her hand, before sitting down on it and staring around the room speechless.

"Do you like it?" Jason asked her.

"Oh my gosh," she whispered. She shook her head. "Did you guys really do all this for me?" she asked him in amazement.

He nodded and shedropped her head, her amazement giving way to feelings of being overwhelmed. She felt she was close to crying, but didn't want to start bawling in front of Jason, especially not after seeing the effort he had gone to for her.

"Are you okay?" He asked her quietly.

She nodded. "This just feels so strange...good strange, I mean," she rephrased, looking at him. "It's really nice what you and your parents are doing for me," she continued, "I just hope that you don't mind me moving in on your house..."

He shook his head. "Nah, it'll be fun, I mean like you I'm not used to having someone to hang out with every day...and just think how easy it'll be to do our homework every night," he finished with a smile.

She nodded and smiled back, and then looked at him thoughtfully as a thought entered her mind. "Does this mean we're brother and sister now?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "I dunno...I figured you'd think that was weird like me," he revealed and she nodded in agreement, "So, let's just keep it as friends for now."

"I like that," she said with a small nod.

They both looked up as the door nudged open, and Jason's mother brushed in. "What do you think of your room, Kimberly?" She asked, as she leant a hand on the vanity table.

Kimberly nodded. "It's totally amazing," she gushed, "Thanks so much, Mrs. Scott!"

The older woman threw a dismissive hand. "You don't have to be formal with us anymore, Kimberly," she said, "We'd really like it if you would call us Kath and Ian, that's if you feel comfortable with that."

Kimberly nodded. "Sure," she said, before quickly shrugging, "I guess it'll take a little while to get use to."

"Can I call you guys Kath and Ian, too?" Jason asked slyly and Kimberly giggled at his comment.

Kath placed a hand on her hip. "Don't be cheeky mister," she said, but Kimberly could see that she was being light-hearted in her warning. "Anyway, how about we go have some cocoa?"

Kimberly and Jason looked at each other and nodded their heads eagerly.

* * *

The following late afternoon, Jason found himself waving goodbye to Zack after his father dropped Jason home after karate practice. The weather was even colder than the day before hand, and the darkness of night had blanketed Angel Grove much earlier than he had anticipated. After a long day at the final day of school and karate class before the Christmas break, Jason was looking forward to getting into the warmth of his house. 

He walked through the unlocked door, and clumsily removed his boots and hung up his jacket, the smell of a roast and gravy instantly filling his nostrils as he headed for the living room. He knew his mother had planned a special dinner for the night to welcome Kimberly on her first full day in their home, and he was looking forward to spending the night with his 'new' family.

He strolled through the archway and into the open living room and kitchen, noticing Kimberly busily setting the dining table. His mother was leaning over the stove, but quickly twisted around to greet him as soon he appeared. "Hey sweetie, how was practice?" She asked him with a smile.

Jason nodded. "Yeah, it was good...whatever you're cooking, it smells yum!"

He approached Kimberly, and she stopped to look at him. "Hey Kim, how was your day?" He asked her.

"It was good," she told him, "I went to the mall with your mom."

"Yes, we had a great time getting Kimberly some things she needed," his mother added, as she motioned with an outstretched hand to the table. "All of you take a seat, and I'll bring out dinner!"

Jason gladly took a chair beside Kimberly and chattered casually to her as his mother and father brought out their special banquet. They all eagerly served up the roast and vegetables, Kimberly laughing when Jason managed to spill some gravy down the front of his shirt. He groaned, annoyed and embarrassed at himself, and then went back to enjoying the delicious feed.

"So, Kimberly how was your first sleep?" His father asked, as he reached for a glass of juice.

Kimberly nodded. "I slept well," she replied.

His mother put her cutlery down, and Jason braced himself for a speech. "So, I won't embarrass you Kimberly by making a big speech, but I really would like to tell you how happy we all are to have you here with us," His mom began to speak, "I know it will take time to used to things, but we want you to feel like you're part of the family. We have an open discussion policy here, which means that if you ever want to discuss anything, don't be shy-."

"Uh mom, I thought you weren't going to make a big speech?" Jason asked sarcastically, his comment making Kimberly giggle.

His mother smiled despite her son's cheek, and then continued with her speech. "We don't have a lot of rules, and as Jason knows, the only thing we really expect from you both is to be thoughtful. You are both responsible for washing up during the week, and you're both to make sure your homework is a priority. I know you do very well in school, Kimberly, so I know that won't be a problem. The only other important thing is that you both need to be home every day before dark."

"Okay mum, gees, are you trying to overwhelm her?" Jason commented light-heartedly, "I'll fill Kim in along the way. She has kinda known me for long enough to know most of this anyway..."

"Yeah, Jason always complains that you guys are tough on him," she stated with her tongue in her cheek.

Jason pouted. "What? I never said that!" He sputtered.

She laughed and he rolled his eyes, grateful that his mother had given up on the speech for at least the moment. The dinner continued along with a lot of talk about Christmas and plans to celebrate New Years eve, before they finally finished up and Jason and Kimberly both reluctantly got onto the task of washing up the dishes while his parents settled down in front of the television.

"Do you prefer to wash or dry?" Jason asked her, as he stacked the dirty dishes up beside the sink. _Please say you like to dry_, he silently hoped to himself as she picked up a towel from the bench.

"I prefer to dry," she replied.

"Good, because I much rather wash dishes," he told her as he started on his part of the chore.

She shook her head. "Nu-uh, drying is much easier," she pointed out.

"Whatever, I bet you that washing up is quicker," he challenged her.

She raised an eyebrow. "Fine, but I betcha you're wrong."

* * *

**_Saturday January 4th, 1992_ **

"I am lo-ost without the sign..."

Kimberly stopped singing as she heard a knock on her door, and reluctantly dropped her guitar on her bed, dragging herself over to open her bedroom door.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Jason asked her.

She shrugged. "Just playing a bit on my guitar, I was about to go to bed..." she told him.

He nodded and then yawned. "Yeah, well I'll see you in morning, I'm gonna enjoy my last day before school in front of the television I think," he explained.

"Okay, cool, well good night then," she told him.

"Yeah, nite," he smiled, before turning and heading in through his room and closing the door.

Kimberly yawned and went back over to her bed, picking up her guitar and carefully moving it over to it's resting place in the corner. She was still unbelievably ecstatic after receiving the beautiful instrument for Christmas, and found herself sitting around and strumming some songs, enjoying the time to herself. She had focused on numerous music books nearly every day, still trying to get past the beginners stage, but she had a feeling she'd really enjoy playing the guitar for a long time to come.

Glancing quickly in her mirror, she removed the ribbon that was holding back her waist long hair, and then continued back to her bed. She peeled back the thick blankets and gladly jumped in, savoring the warmth it offered her. She reached over and turned off her lamp, blinking several times as darkness consumed the room around her.

She sighed softly, as she settled into the usual routine that had become second nature to her every night she turned in to sleep. She always found herself thinking and analyzing, struggling and fighting with a wash of bad memories about the past.

It had been that way since the fire, and the bad dreams that plagued her weekly while she had been living in Los Angeles had been the basis of much of her psychological stress. Since she had moved in with the Scott's, her spirits had dramatically lifted and she'd been without a single bad dream, yet that in itself was causing her a brief period of panic every night.

Because, she just didn't want it to ever happen again. She wanted her life to get better and she never wanted to be wakened again by the cruel, twisted clasps of her mixed-up mind.

Luckily tonight she was tired, and gradually her eyes became heavy enough that she gently gave into the lull of slumber, quiet breath escaping her ajar mouth as she fell asleep. She occasionally tossed or moaned, but minutes turned into hours as the night grew darker and her dreams, unbeknownst to her, became more disturbing:

---

_"I have had enough, Robert!" _

_"I had enough of you a long time ago, Caroline, trust me I'm well beyond that stage by now!" _

_Kimberly stared aimlessly at the table as she tried to block out the blunt words of her parents' confrontation coming from the living room. She found herself crying a tear for every scream and verbal attack, until she heard a loud noise and bolted to the room without thinking. _

_"What happened!" She cried, as she ran around the corner and came to a sudden halt. _

_She glanced down at her mother's favorite vase that was scattered on the floor, a dark mark on the wall nearby indicating where it had made contact on being broken. _

_"Why would you do that!" Her mother suddenly shrieked. _

_"Because I'm sick of you! You're nothing but a spoilt, selfish bitch!" Her father spat back angrily. _

_"Don't talk to mom like that!" Kimberly burst out. Her words forced her parents to pull their leveled gaze in her direction, both of them breathing heavily. _

_"Kimberly, go to your room," Her mother told her. _

_Kimberly blinked. "How can I sleep when all you do is yell?" She wailed, "I have school tomorrow and it's getting late." _

_"Go to your room, now!" Her father snapped at her, throwing his arm out to motion to the staircase nearby. _

_Kimberly bit her quivering lip, and turned around. She ran up the stairs and straight into her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her. She stood motionless for a moment as she tried to settle herself down, and then slowly walked towards her bed. _

_She sighed and pulled back the numerous layers of blankets. _

_Suddenly a hand reached out from underneath the bottom layer and grabbed her around her neck, the firm grip crushing her airway. She felt a sickening sensation throb to her head as she stared down at the man in horror. _

_His eyes were bright amber, flames tickling in their centers like the reflection of a mirror. She tried to speak, tried to scream but could only move her eyes slightly towards her bedroom door as it flew open and flames burst out of nowhere._

---

Kimberly snapped her eyes open, gasping a small, strained breath as her heart pounded away in her temple. She could feel her body shaking as though she was cold, tears slipping out from beneath her fluttering eyes. She rolled over, and eyed her bedside clock with disappointment and desperation. It was only two in the morning, and she had had her first nightmare since living with the Scotts.

It was the first time she'd been sleeping alone and had a bad dream, and she suddenly felt terrified about being by herself. Her reaction could only be described as a silent panic attack, a feeling of being lost and alone similar to the horrific feeling that had choked her during That fateful night nearly a year before hand.

_I can't go back to sleep! I can't go back to sleep! _She rocked herself as she sat in the dark.

She finally reached behind her and grabbed her blanket, wrapping it around her shoulders as she quietly tip toed to her door. She placed a gentle hand on the door handle and turned it slowly, holding her breath as she reached her hands out blindly and knowingly brought her hand to the nearby handle.

The door opened slightly, and she could see him lay still in the small streaks of moonlight that were shining over him in the bed. She crept in and closed the door slowly before making her way gingerly to the ground beside him. The plush carpet beneath her did little to pad her restless body, but at least she wasn't alone.

_If I can just rest here for a couple of hours, I'll be able to sneak back out and Jason will never know, _she reasoned with herself.

She could never tell him about it.

* * *

Jason found himself drifting in and out of sleep, and rolled about in his bed in an effort to find a spot more comfortable. His body was still aching from an awkward fall he had taken when he fell off his bike the day before hand, and subconsciously the dull pain had been disrupting his sleep as the night turned slowly into early morning. 

He moaned frustrated and reluctantly opened his eyes, drawling an arm from underneath his blanket to rub an aimless itch on his face. He blinked a few times as he slowly rolled over again onto his stomach and stole a quick glance towards the digital clock on his bed side table.

_Great, it's only five o'clock_...He moaned again and dropped his arm over the edge of the bed, almost jumping as he hand came across something that certainly wasn't the carpet below.

He quickly moved his head and peered over the edge, a sudden rush of thoughts coming to him, as he tried to work out why Kimberly was sleeping on the floor beside his bed.

He hesitated for a moment and then gently moved his hand up to her shoulder before gently shaking her. She moaned quietly, and he shook her again and she finally rolled over on to her back, her eyelids slowly moving.

"Kimberly?"

Her eyes snapped open, the horror in their dark centers screaming out to him through the dim light that hovered around them. He thought he must have startled her, when she suddenly sat up on the spot, her lips trembling. "Oh my gosh..." she whispered.

He frowned. "It's okay, sorry I didn't mean to scare you..." he quietly cleared the early morning croakiness in his voice as he carefully studied her face.

She ran a hand over her long, tangled locks, while her eyes darted around the room, avoiding his direction.

"Are you okay?" he quietly asked her.

"Yeah..."

"Um, why were you sleeping on the floor in my bedroom?"

She remained silent, looking away from him until she slowly and courageously moved her gaze to meet his. "I'm so sorry...I don't know what I...I was going to go before you woke up..."

He frowned again. "What do you mean? I don't understand..."

"I had a bad dream, the first bad dream I'm had since I've been here," she whispered to him, "But I don't know what happened, it really scared me and for the first time since...since the fire, I was alone...I didn't want to be alone, so I came in here, hoping I'd be able to sleep..." her voice trailed off and she slumped her hands in her lap.

He stared at her thoughtfully, his mind too foggy to deal with what his friend was telling him. He knew she was watching him apprehensively, waiting for him to give her some kind of reassurance and so he rubbed his eyes again and tried to think of how he was going to respond.

He noticed her tremble and then she slowly got to her feet, a small blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

"Hey, why don't you come lie beside me?" He asked her quietly, moving himself over to the far side of his bed. She stared at him dubiously, and he extended his hand and motioned for her to come beside him.

She sighed and then slowly crawled on the bed, lying on top of his blanket beside him. They both lay their awkwardly, and Jason almost certainly would have pulled some kind of joke had Kimberly not been looking back at him so embarrassed. He peeled back his top blanket and quickly draped it over her before he rested his head back down on his pillow.

"It's okay..." he whispered to her.

She shook her head quickly and then sighed. "Thanks Jase," she whispered back to him.

"I'm sorry if I made you feelbad..."

"I totally understand, I would have reacted the same. I'm so stupid, see this is what I was trying to tell you months ago...sometimes, weird things happen to me and I don't know how to deal with them."

"Maybe you should talk to my mom about the dreams…?"

"Yeah, I suppose I should..." She rolled over so she was facing him. "Are you going to say anything to anyone about this?"

He shook his head. "No, of course not," he assured her quickly, trying to keep his voice low.

She sighed again, but this time it was more of relief. "What happens if your parents find me sleeping in your room?"

"Nah, don't worry about it," he breathed back, "They know it's our last day before school goes back, just try and get some sleep."

"You don't have to do this Jase-."

"You're my best friend, Kim," he cut in, trying to keep his voice low, "I know this feels weird, but we are family and I do care about you. Don't sneak around anymore, this is your home, okay?"

She nodded. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't be sorry," he said.

They stared at each other in silence, and Jason didn't think that either of them would fall asleep again, but as the clock ticked over to six am, both friend's finally reentered the state of sleep they were both so desperately longing for.

---

**Next in Episode Two: 'A Year Ago Today'** – _The first year anniversary of Kimberly's parents' deaths comes around, and it causes awkwardness between the old group of friends. As the few days leading up to the day are riddled with whispering, bickering and a stint in detention, will Trini, with Jason's help, be able to help Kimberly deal with her pain?_

_A/N#2 - Just a little tidbit about the job Jason's mother has in this story: my mother actually had that job position in my life (she helped a huge amount of children in my home town), so that's why I've chosen it for this story, plus I think such an influence in Jason's life would really sculpt him into the compassionate and responsible person he is and explains why he is so sensitive to others issues. _


	3. Ep2: A Year Ago Today

**R&R: Rebirth of the Legacy**

**A Year ago Today - Episode 2**

By Chanelle Summer

_A/N-Thankyou all for your reviews! I really appreciate them all and I'm so glad that you are all taking the time to read my work. To Katimavik: Maybe...it's still unclear. To C2: Yeah, Kathy prob makes more sense...I guess I have an Aunt Kathleen who we've always called Kath! Thanks to everyone else who reviewed, it means the world! Also, a big thanks to whoever nominated me for the Guardian Fan-Fic awards…I am really flattered and appreciate the gesture! Here goes another chapter...this one was weird to write, once again. Don't ask me why! But, hopefully it will get across to you all okay..._

* * *

**_Monday February 14th 1992 _**

Kimberly walked back out towards the living room at home, after trying on an assortment of outfits she'd received as gifts for her thirteenth birthday. After a weekend of light celebrations with her friends, Kimberly now had her uncle Steve staying the night at the Scotts' and she was looking forward to spending the evening with him.

As she approached the archway to the open living area, Kimberly momentarily paused as she heard the hushed voices of Jason's parents and her uncle. Whenever Kimberly heard whispering of adults, she always assumed it was about her, and she hated it. Why did everyone always feel the need to talk about her, but not to her? Why did everyone always feel they needed to shield her from everything?

She sighed and walked through, and as she made her presence in the room obvious, the talking came to a stop, and everyone looked up at her and smiled.

"You like the outfit, Kimberly?" Her uncle asked her, motioning to the clothing Kimberly had put on.

She nodded and smiled, before sitting down on the couch beside him. She glanced over at Jason, wondering why everyone was suddenly so quiet.

"So, Kim, there's something we all need to quickly have a talk about this afternoon," Kath began in her trademark gentle tone.

Kimberly squirmed in her seat, a feeling of dread hovering in her stomach. "What?" She asked quietly.

"It's okay, there's nothing wrong…it's just about some legal stuff to do with you living here with the Scotts," Her uncle explained to her. "Basically, when we arranged for you to move back here, we put in plans so that Kathleen and Ian would become your legal guardians. Remember when we talked about that?"

Kimberly nodded. She remembered having many conversations about the topic, but just assumed it wasn't very important.

"We've been talking about it with our lawyer and we've decided that I'm going to stay your legal guardian, but that Kathleen and Ian will be looking after you for me."

"What does that mean?" Kimberly suddenly asked, as she felt her forehead crease with confusion.

"We've made an arrangement which means that I have given them private permission to make decisions for you, like where to go to school, and everything else, but in the eyes of the law, you won't be a 'Scott'," he explained.

Kimberly frowned. "Why?" She asked, looking at Kath. "Don't you guys want me to be part of your family, isn't that what you said?"

Kath leaned forward and took Kimberly's hand. "Sweetie, this has nothing to do with us not wanting you to be with us…nothing else will change about your life here. All it means, is that we aren't making anything legal. This way, we won't have to make any big changes…" She paused and smiled gently at Kimberly, "Nothing will change though, okay?"

Kimberly looked down at her lap and then shrugged. "Okay, that's fine…I suppose…" She murmured. She looked up again. "I don't want to be a hassle for anyone, I'm sorry if I caused any problems…"

"Kimberly," Her uncle spoke up, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, "You are not a hassle! If anything, you have too many people who want to look after you. You know we all care about you, don't you?"

Kimberly forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah, of course I do," she replied honestly. "I don't have to go anywhere, though, do I? I mean, do I get to stay here in Angel Grove?" Kimberly asked again. She was still a little apprehensive and felt a twinge of concern as the thought entered her mind.

"You can live with us as long as you want," Ian spoke up, "We hope you'll want to stay with us until you decide to go off to college or wherever life takes you."

They all looked up as the phone rang, and Kath excused herself and went over to answer it. Kimberly looked over to Jason and motioned with her eyes to the back door.

"Hey, is it okay if Jason and I go outside for a while?" Kimberly asked.

The adults all nodded and Kimberly and Jason made their way out the back door, walking all the way around the far corner of the house before they began to speak.

"Did you understand what they were talking about in there?" Kimberly asked him, as they both sat up on the edge of the trampoline.

Jason nodded. "I think so," he replied. "All they were saying is that your uncle is legally your parent, but that he's given permission for my mom and dad to look after you until you're an adult."

Kimberly swung her legs backwards and forwards before she looked at Jason thoughtfully. "I was getting worried, I thought they were gonna make me move again or something…" she admitted.

Jason flopped back down on the mat behind him, and Kimberly followed suit. "My parents like having you here, so don't worry. I think my mom's always wanted a girl. That's why she loves taking you shopping and everything," Jason said as they both looked up at the cloudy sky.

"I can't believe I'm finally a teenager," Kimberly stated, her comment coming from nowhere.

But more than that, Kimberly couldn't believe that a year had nearly passed her since that extraordinary day. She could only pray that the week ahead would pass her by as quickly as possible, and that she could dissipate the sickening feeling that fluttered in her stomach at the thought of what Friday would bring.

* * *

The afternoon air was crisp the following day, and Trini relished the light breeze on her face as she and Kimberly made their way out through the back entrance of Angel Grove Junior High. 

They had been back at school for over a month since the Christmas break and already Trini felt comfortable back in her usual routine. The only difference she'd experienced, was having Kimberly back by her side, and while it was a concept the Asian girl had been excited about, the past week had dulled her happiness and left her feeling slightly uneasy.

She had seen Kimberly a hand full of times over the Christmas break, and Trini was relieved to have her best friend back in her life. She was also thankful that Kimberly seemed happier on the phone, and Jason had shared with Trini that his new live-in friend appeared more like her old self.

That was, however, until a few weeks into the school semester.

For some reason, Trini felt that Kimberly was constantly nervous and distanced and in turn Trini and the others had tried to make her return to Angel Grove as comfortable as possible. Of course, they all felt slightly apprehensive about how to deal with certain sensitive subjects, but it seemed no matter how many jokes they told or how many ways they tried to include her, Kimberly Hart was no longer Kimberly Hart.

The 'old' Kimberly lit the air around her with an unassuming light, her natural expression of happiness an existence that had always been soothing to Trini. While in the past Trini had at times found her best friend's enthusiasm to be stifling, she had at least felt comforted by her enriching spirit. A spirit that touched all her friends with a smile and unflagging loyalty.

But over the few weeks that had just passed them by, a near stranger instead greeted Trini. Kimberly's usual exuberance was overthrown and out shadowed by forced smiles and one word replies in conversations that usually took the young girl's interest like bees to honey. And to make matters more difficult for Trini, the few times that she tried to talk to her best friend, Kimberly shot her down with a closed mouth and immediately disconnected herself from her emotionally.

_I just wish she'd talk to me, _Trini thought to herself so many times, _I'm her best friend, we've always told each other everything…_

"Trini?"

Trini looked up and shook her head quickly. "Sorry, Kim, I was in a world of my own..." Trini apologized, only then realizing she'd zoned out.

Kimberly shrugged. "Not a problem," she said, as the two girls approached the bleachers where they sat most lunch breaks.

Trini rolled her eyes as she noticed Jason and Zack arm wrestling, and chose a seat next to Billy, who was as always, sitting quietly with a book in his hand.

"Hi Billy," Trini greeted, as she sat down beside him.

He raised his placid gaze, and nodded his head ever so politely. "Hi Trini, hi Kimberly," he replied quietly.

Trini noticed that both Jason and Zack stopped their mucking around as Kimberly sat down, and watched as the two boys took a seat on the bench in front of them.

"Hey birthday girl!" Zack stated with a wide grin, lightly slapping Kimberly on the shoulder.

Kimberly offered him a smile. "Thanks Zack, although it was yesterday and we've already celebrated…" She reminded him.

"What did you do last night?" He asked her.

Kimberly shrugged. "Not much," she replied. "We had a nice dinner with my uncle and went ice-skating."

Zack nodded. "I love ice-skating," he stated, before he looked directly at Trini, his eyes lighting up again. "You should have seen that girl Jane in science, Trini, she was giving Jason googly eyes all class," He chattered away, a mischievous grin on his face.

Trini smiled, and stifled a laugh, as always amused by her friend's love of gossip. "Maybe you should tell her friends that Jason likes her-."

"I do not like her!" Jason cut in, as he swiped a playful hand towards Zack, "Stop saying that I do!"

"He's just jealous that no girls are interested in him," Kimberly commented light-heartedly, before she took a bite from her sandwich.

Zack pouted blithely and then motioned with a quick finger towards Kimberly. "Since when do you guys get such good food for lunch?" He asked.

"You wanna swap?" Jason offered, raising his sandwich towards Zack.

He dangled the food below Zack's nose playfully and moved his eyebrows up and down in a beckoning tease. Zack nodded his head eagerly, and the two boys made their deal with seeming delight. Trini smiled quietly andtook a sip from her juice, an uncomfortable silence falling between the group of friends.

Jason must have sensed the looming quietness, and quickly cleared his throat. "So, because today is our open day for our karate class, Kim is coming with me to check the Youth Center out," he explained out loud.

"That's great!" Trini stated, turning to smile at Kimberly, "You'll love it there, it has absolutely everything you could imagine."

"Yeah, Jason told me it has a lot of fun stuff," Kimberly agreed, "Mrs. Scott- I mean Kath, told me that it was okay for me to go and that she'd pick me up after work."

"So Billy, are you going to join our karate class this semester?" Zack asked seriously.

Billy raised his eyes from the book in his hands and shrugged his shoulders with uncertainty. "I ah um, I'm not certain," he stammered, "I was arranging to trial the class and then decide if it is an activity that I would consider joining..."

Trini eyed her quiet friend with encouragement. "I think you would like the class, Billy," Trini offered, "Master Torrins is a very good teacher."

His unsure look remained unchanged by her persuasive speech. "Perhaps..." he commented meekly.

"What about you, Kim?" Trini asked her friend. She was hopeful that if she could get Kimberly to join a social activity that it might help her settle back into life in Angel Grove.

Kimberly scrunched her nose up and quickly shook her head. "No way, throwing people around is not my idea of fun," she stated clearly.

"Yeah, but you never know if you don't try it," Jason pointed out hopefully.

Kimberly sighed and gazed at him briefly, before returning her eyes to her lunch. "Jason, I don't want to join your class, okay? Gees, do you think asking me like a hundred is going to change my mind?"

Trini exchanged a quick look with Jason and sighed inwardly. It was becoming increasingly clear to Trini that she had to think of something fast to help her best friend get out of her dark mood.

* * *

The Angel Grove Youth Center and Juice Bar was buzzing with teenagers as Jason walked Kimberly through the main archway and in through the café-styled area. He was surprised by how many of the tables were filled with students chatting away or slurping down smoothies over homework. 

Jason waved politely when he spotted Zack's parents' and Trini's mother near the counter and quickly took Kimberly up to where Trini, Zack and Billy were already sitting at a table in the back corner.

"Hey guys," Trini greeted as Jason sat down beside her.

He watched as Kimberly continued to look around the complex with seeming curiosity. "So, what do you think?" He asked her, "Pretty neat place, isn't it?"

She turned her attention back towards him and nodded. "Yeah, this place is packed. I didn't think they could fit so much in here…" She commented.

Billy nodded and passed over a sheet of paper, and Kimberly skimmed her chocolate eyes over the list. "That's a detailed list of all the activities the Youth Center provides," Billy explained to her, "As well as karate classes and free use of the exercise equipment, they also hold dance, music and other various classes here."

"And, they have gymnastics equipment here, as well," Trini added with a smile. She pointed her hand towards the sunken area of the complex where a young girl was using a beam. "They have mats and everything."

Kimberly nodded. "Cool," she stated, although her tone was lacking honest zeal.

"Hey, maybe you could start up gymnastics again?" Zack suggested to her.

Jason cringed secretly at his best friend's comment. He'd already made the suggestion to Kimberly frequently over the passing weeks, and every time she had been defiant in insisting she had no interest in returning to the sport she had once loved.

"No, I don't think I really want to," she finally explained quietly, "It doesn't really interest me anymore…"

"Oh, okay," Zack said equally softly and Jason exchanged a quick look with him that told him not to worry about it.

"Where are the wash rooms?" Kimberly asked in a complete change of tone.

"They're just down those stairs and through that walkway," Trini replied and they all watched as the short brunette stood up and walked away.

Trini sighed loudly and puckered her lips to the side of her face. "Guys, there's something I need to talk to you about..." She stated, as soon as Kimberly had disappeared around the corner.

"About Kimberly?" Jason guessed in a bleak tone and Trini nodded. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "She's been strange…" he stated.

Zack pursed his lips. "She's just sad, I think that's to be expected," he pointed out.

Trini shook her head. "No, Kimberly hasn't just been sad, she's been kinda mean...and Kimberly's never been mean, ever. Okay, she hasn't been mean, but she hasn't been nice either," Trini stopped and looked at each of her male friends. "Please don't tell her I said that."

"We'd never say anything," Jason assured her, "I just wish there was something we could think of to help her."

"You live with her, is she so moody like that at home?" Zack wondered, looking to Jason with questioning eyes.

Jason shrugged. "I don't know, not really..." he paused, "Well, actually she was fine until recently...but I think it's because this Friday is the anniversary of...you know..."

Trini nodded. "I've noticed she's been really quiet this week…what is she doing on Friday?" She asked, looking directly at Jason.

"She doesn't want to do anything special," Jason reported, "She told my mom and dad she wants to go to school, and that's about it. Her uncle was already here for her birthday, and I think she doesn't want to make a big deal about this."

He stopped and looked up as Trini motioned to him with wide eyes and he guessed that Kimberly had reentered the vicinity. He turned his head and watched as she maneuvered her way through the small clumps of students and dropped back down in her seat beside him.

"They have cool change rooms here," Kimberly commented as she fumbled through her backpack. Jason and the others remained quiet and Kimberly slumped her shoulders slightly and eyed him with wary eyes. "What? Why's everyone so quiet?" She asked, suspicion hinted in her tone.

"No reason," Jason lied.

_Maybe I should just tell her? No, she'll probably just get upset or angry, and I don't want to be responsible for that right now, _Jason reasoned to himself.

She frowned and remained motionless, until Trini broke through the moment. "Hey, does anyone want to come and get a smoothie with me?" She asked, "I just got my allowance yesterday and I've heard they have really yummy drinks here."

"Uh, yeah, sure, just let me get my wallet," Jason told her.

"What about you Kim?" Trini asked hopefully.

Kimberly shook her head, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "No thanks," she replied, before she pulled a notebook and textbook out from her backpack.

Jason sighed and followed Trini up past a row of arcade machines and to the counter of the juice bar.

"You're right about Kim, Trini," Jason whispered to his friend while they waited to get served.

"Maybe you should talk to her tonight and just let her know how we are all feeling?" Trini suggested.

Jason nodded, knowing that it was his only choice.

* * *

Later that night, Kimberly sat on the stool to her vanity table, absentmindedly running a brush through her long hair. She hummed a tune under her breath, before she gently placed the brush on the wooden surface and moved her fingers to the crown of her head, deciding she would braid her hair. 

She separated three groups of dark tresses and carefully wound them in order, before she paused and scowled to herself in the mirror.

"Argh," she whispered, "Why can I never get it right!"

She sighed and let her hair go, staring at herself with frustration. She knew she wasn't just annoyed because she was unable to braid her hair the way she would like to, but inwardly she was down because she didn't have anyone to do it for her. It was the hairstyle her mother would always do for her, and it always looked perfect when she had done it.

For Kimberly, it was just another reminder of the looming anniversary that was sneaking up on her.

_Nearly one year since I lost everything… _

She had so many feelings swirling inside of her, emotions battling and threatening who she was as a person. Christmas with the Scotts' had been a sincerely happy time for her, and she had been more than grateful to have her closest friends' back in her life, yet for so many reasons, one date seemed to changing her in ways she hadn't predicted.

Nobody understood what she was dealing with. Everyone she knew looked at her with pity and whispered about her as though she was invisible. She had felt a pang of rejection when she was told that practically no one wanted to legally 'own' her, and worst of all, she felt alone, even from her friends. It was all becoming too much in a week that Kimberly wished she could just sleep through.

She continued to stare at herself with dissatisfaction, until she heard a quiet and familiar voice speak come through from the other side of her closed bedroom door.

"Kimberly?"

She sighed quietly. _Great, I really don't feel like talking to him right now… _

"Yeah, come in," she offered, watching as the door slowly opened and Jason walked through, closing it behind him. He was dressed in black and red striped flannelette pajamas, a site that still amused Kimberly at times whenever she saw it.

"Whatcha doing?" He asked her.

She quickly lifted her hands to her head, and pretended to plat her hair. "Just doing my hair," she explained, "I'm about to go to bed soon."

He nodded. "Yeah..." His voice trailed off and Kimberly widened her eyes, coaxing him to continue. "I just wanted to see if you were okay," He finally admitted.

"I'm fine," she answered, a little too quickly.

Jason shuffled to his other foot. "You've been kind of weird lately, like at school and-."

Kimberly avoided his gaze. "Jason, everything is fine," she cut in, "Plus, I don't think it's me, you guys are the ones who have been acting strange."

"What do you mean?"

She sighed loudly. "You have all been treating me different lately, and I feel like you guys aren't including me in your group…I was looking forward to going back to school with you guys, but things aren't the same and I feel left out."

He leaned against her closet and shook his head gently. "Kim, nothing's changed…if the others are treating you different, it's only because they're worried about you," he explained.

She frowned. "Why would they be worried about me?" She asked him, "I just wish you would all include me and stop talking about me when I'm not around."

Kimberly looked at him and he mirrored her frown. "We weren't saying anything bad," he protested quietly, obviously surprised by her comment, "Everyone's just worried about you, you're not like yourself."

She sighed stubbornly, "Just leave me alone, I'm tired."

He scoffed and shook his head. "What, are you too busy doing your hair?" He commented, almost angrily.

"Yes, I am," she replied curtly.

They stared at each other momentarily, before he finally shook his head. "Whatever," he stated, walking towards the door.

Kimberly blinked and sighed regretfully. She knew she'd pushed Jason too far, and was suddenly overwhelmed with regret. "Jason, don't go," she stated quietly.

He stopped as his hand reached for the doorknob and pursed his lips. "Why are you so angry?" He asked her.

She bit her lip and lowered her gaze. "I don't know," she replied, "I guess..." she sighed. "I guess I'm just not happy at the moment...I wasn't going to say anything, but when I saw you guys whispering this afternoon, I got upset. I've noticed you doing it a few times lately, and I feel left out."

She heard him walk towards where she was seated, and she slowly slid over to one side of the small stool. He sat down beside her, and she looked away, almost as if she was too ashamed to look at him.

"Kim, I know this week is hard, with all the memories coming back to you, but we just want to help..."

Kimberly glanced up and they looked at each other through the reflection of the mirror before them. "There's nothing anyone can do," she admitted, "It's just the way I feel, no one can change that."

He looked at her thoughtfully. "Would it help if we didn't make a big deal about Friday?" He asked her.

She thought about his suggestion quickly and then nodded her head. "Yes," she revealed quietly, "I don't want a big deal made out of it."

* * *

Trini's eyes skimmed over the passage in the textbook before her, her dark eyes consuming the passage her teacher had requested the class read. She took in each word effortlessly and then quickly looked down to her notebook in front of her and put her pen to paper. 

Even though history was one of her favorite subjects at school, she couldn't bring herself to completely focus on her work that morning. Although she tried to fight it, she couldn't stop thinking about Kimberly and how worried she was about her. No matter how hard Trini tried to think of ways to make the situation better, she never came up with a solution, even something small that would help make a difference.

_I wonder if Jason talked to her last night?_ Trini wondered to herself. She knew that Jason was also worried about Kimberly, and thought that he may have taken the opportunity to talk to her about her sad mood while she was away from the others.

So, instead of taking notes, Trini quietly pulled a loose sheet from her notebook and wrote a brisk message to Jason. She bit her lip once she was finished and glanced up quickly to make sure the teacher was not looking her way, before she hastily passed the note to Jason and returned her attention back to her work.

Trini stole a quick glance in Jason's direction after a minute had passed and noticed his outstretched hand in her direction. She swiftly took the page back from him and opened it up in front of her so she could read his reply:

_Yeah I did and she told me she doesn't want us to make a big deal about tomorrow. J _

Trini sighed and glanced up quickly. Confident that the teacher was not looking in her direction, she quickly returned her gaze back down to the scrap piece of paper and wrote back her reply:

_Do you think that's what she wants? I thought that maybe we could do something to cheer her up, like maybe see if our parents will let us go to the movies or something. T_

She quickly folded the paper and passed the note to him, returning her attention to the teacher while Jason read her message and hurriedly wrote his reply. The teacher began writing notes on the board and Trini began to copy them in her book until the piece of paper returned to her table. Her dark eyes skimmed over Jason's writing:

_No, she told me she doesn't want to do anything. She made me promise her and I don't want to break that promise. She told me she doesn't want everyone talking about her, and says that she'll be fine once Friday is over. J_

Trini thought for a moment about how to reply, and then began:

_Well, you know her best. I wish she'd talk to me like she use to. I just hope that she isn't sad for too long. T_

"Trini," Zack hissed quietly to her from her left.

Trini looked at him, startled and eyed him with wide eyes. "What?" She mouthed.

He motioned to the paper in front of her and she quickly folded it and handed it over to him. She looked back up at the board, and returned to writing her notes. She promptly opened the note when Zack hastily tossed it on her desk, and read his message:

_Maybe we should do something on the weekend? Like have a video night if our parents will let us? Do you think your parents will let us, Jase? Z_

Trini didn't add anything to the note and passed it discretely to Jason. She watched him as he read the messages and wrote his reply, before he passed it back to her. Trini opened the note and read Jason's new message, his writing scribbled messily:

_That might be a good idea. I'll ask them tonight. I think maybe Kim was trying so hard to be happy when she first moved back here, and now she's just finding it hard. My mom told me last night that it was normal for Kim to feel that way. I would be sad if it were me. I just wish she'd do a hobby or something, she's spending so much time in her room lately. J_

"What is that?"

Trini look up, almost jumping out of her seat as she realized Mrs. Sutton was standing in front of her desk. The gaunt teacher had her hands on her hips, her wide-set eyes peering down at the paper in Trini's hand with clear contempt.

"I uh-."

"Passing notes is not allowed in school, Trini, I'm surprised at you," her teacher stated, her shrill voice grabbing the attention of the remainder of the class. "You know what the punishment is if you are caught passing notes..."

"Yeah, you have to read them out loud!" Kurt Mitchell piped up from the front row.

Trini slumped down in her seat, and she looked over at Kimberly who turned around from her seat in front of Jason. Her best friend's eyes' were staring at her with confusion and Trini couldn't stop the guilt from flushing on both of her cheeks.

"Did you speak to Kim last night?" Mrs. Sutton began reading the note in a loud voice. Kimberly instantly shot Trini an accusing look, before the teacher continued revealing the messages to the entire class. "Yeah I did and she told me she doesn't want us to make a big deal about tomorrow-."

"Mrs. Sutton," Jason quickly spoke up. The teacher looked up from the note impatiently. "Please, don't read the entire note," He added with a pleading look.

Trini offered the teacher an apologetic glance and blinked with relief as she watched the older lady tear the note up, and toss it in the waste paper bin at the front of the class.

"History is not the time to be writing about your social lives," Mrs. Sutton announced, "I know that I am only relieving Mrs. Anderson, but that is a school rule. Trini, Jason, Zack and Kimberly, you will all be attending lunch time detention today."

"But Mrs. Sutton-." Trini spoke up.

"That will be all," The teacher cut her protest off.

Trini sighed miserably, and watched as Kimberly turned her back to them before she could apologize.

* * *

Jason remained in his chair as the rest of his classmates flooded out of the room at the end of the period, leaving him alone with Kimberly, Zack and Trini. Mrs. Sutton looked up at them as the last student left the room, and motioned to the door with her hand. 

"I'm just going out to speak to Mr. Packer, I expect you all to be well behaved until I return," she announced to them.

They all nodded quietly, and Jason remained still until he watched the skinny woman exit the classroom, leaving the four friends on their own.

"Guys, I am so sorry," Trini quietly spoke up, as she leant across her desk, "Kim? Kim I'm really sorry..."

Kimberly kept her back to them, her head hung down.

"I can't believe Mrs. Sutton would read our note in front of the whole class," Zack muttered, "And then she gives us detention."

"Kimberly?" Jason asked again. He leant over and nudged her back with her his hand. "Come on Kim, talk to us."

He heard her sigh, and she slowly twisted her back around so that she was looking at them all. Her lips were slightly puckered, but overall, her expression appeared neutral.

"Kim, I'm really sorry for getting you in trouble," Trini apologized.

Kimberly sighed again and shrugged. "Whatever, it doesn't matter..." she bit her lip, "I don't know why you guys would write about me and not include me..."

"We didn't write anything bad," Trini assured her, but she stopped short as Kimberly scoffed.

"I don't know what you wrote, because Jason didn't even want her to read it out," Kimberly stated, her tone critical.

Jason shook his head, hurt and annoyed that she was accusing him of keeping something away from her. "I didn't want her to read it, because I didn't want the entire class to know our business," he argued.

Kimberly frowned. "Well, Mrs. Sutton probably read the whole thing! I told you yesterday Jason that I'm sick of you all talking about me like I don't exist!" She snapped.

Trini blinked, clearly taken off guard by the hostile tone of her best friend. "Kim, we just care about you, we thought that maybe we could do something to cheer you up tomorrow...that's why I wrote to Jason, but he told me that you didn't want us to do anything..."

Kimberly lowered her gaze, and Trini leant over and touched her hand. "Just stop caring about me so much," Kimberly whispered to them, "I just need to be alone right now."

Jason's face fell, but before he had the time to respond, Mrs. Sutton reentered the room and broke through the emotional moment.

"Will you all please turn to the front of the class, I want to see you finish copying down page thirty of your text book before I let you go to lunch," she announced to them.

Kimberly moved her hand away from Trini's and turned to face the front of the class. Jason kept his eyes on her back, as a mass of thoughts revolved around in his mind. He reluctantly opened his textbook, and leafed through the mound of pages, coming to a stop as he heard a faint sniffling from in front of him.

_Is she crying?_

"Kim?" Jason whispered to her.

"Jason, please keep quiet," Mrs. Sutton interrupted from her desk.

Jason sighed and tried to return to the task at hand, but he couldn't ignore the barely audible sounds of sobbing coming from Kimberly. He could see her head drop and he spoke up again without thinking. "Kim, are you okay?"

"Jason!" Mrs. Sutton interrupted again, this time her tone was full of steel. "I don't know what is wrong with you lot today, this is not what I expect from the best students in this class...If I have to talk to you again, Jason, you will be attending lunch detention for a week, and your friends will be not too far behind-"

"It's not his fault," Kimberly spoke up quietly. She lowered her head again, and Jason watched helplessly as her tiny shoulders began to tremble, and he heard the definite sounds of crying.

"What is wrong, Kimberly?" Mrs. Sutton asked with concern, as she stood up from her desk.

Jason stood up and moved around to Kimberly as Trini and Zack followed him. He watched as Trini wrapped her arm around Kimberly's shoulders', and the two girls held each other as soft sobs continued from Kimberly's mouth.

"Why is Kimberly crying?" Mrs. Sutton asked them, as she stood before them.

"She's upset because tomorrow is a sad day for her," Jason explained softly, "It's one year since her parents were killed in a house fire..."

* * *

A blanket of unrelenting steel canopied over Angel Grove, as students piled into their morning classrooms the following day. Jason made his way without enthusiasm to his usual desk in the second last row, staring out at the miserable sky that gaped back at him through the large classroom windows. 

_Ideal weather for today, _he thought dully to himself.

He looked up as Trini and Zack entered the room ahead, and made their way towards their seats beside him. He searched their faces carefully, noticing they both seemed nervous.

"Hey," he greeted in a subdued manner.

"Where's Kimberly?" Trini asked him carefully, motioning to the empty desk in front of Jason.

He shrugged. "She shouldn't be long, she had to go and see a teacher or something before class," he replied, retelling the conversation he had had with Kimberly at his locker only fifteen minutes before hand.

Trini nodded and smiled tightly, and they all turned their attention as their teacher entered the classroom. Jason stared at the front of the class blankly, and despite trying his hardest to concentrate, he couldn't help but stare intently at the empty chair in front of him as the minutes ticked over and slowly the period drew to a near conclusion.

_Where is she? _He thought to himself. He knew he was probably over-reacting, but he was worried that she hadn't turned up to class, especially as she had told him she would meet him there.

_Maybe, she had a meeting with the school counselor or something? _He thought doubtfully. He knew that scenario was unlikely, as Kimberly had never had an appointment with the school therapist since the year had begun.

His mind continued weaving up scenarios until the school principal entered the room, and everyone quieted down to pay attention.

"Could I please see Mr. Scott outside?" Mr. McLaughlin announced, as his eyes skimmed over the class and fell on Jason in the back corner.

Jason quickly glanced at his friends before he stood up and walked towards the front of the class, following the middle aged man out and into the main corridor.

"What's wrong?" Jason asked him.

The older man sighed. "Jason, Kimberly has been reported absent today," he began, "I have tried contacting both of your parents, but I have been unable to get hold of either of them, and so I was wondering if you know where she is today?"

Jason blinked. _What do I say? Do I tell him what I know? I don't want to get Kimberly into trouble..._

He decided to tell the truth. "Um, she walked with me to school today," he admitted, "Before class, she told me she had to see a teacher about something..."

"Do you know what teacher?"

Jason shook his head. "No, she didn't say," he replied honestly.

The principal eyed him thoughtfully and then nodded his head. "I'm aware of the significance of today for Kimberly, and I thought that perhaps she stayed at home today," he paused. "I will continue to try and contact your parents right away."

"Can I go and look for her?" Jason asked him, "Please, I really need to find her."

"No, Jason, that's not the appropriate thing right now," Mr. McLaughlin replied, "I will let you know if I get in contact with your parents or Kimberly, but until then I'm going to have to ask you to return to class for now."

Jason sighed. _Where have you gone, Kim?_

* * *

Kimberly paced through a collection of pine trees as she trampled her way through the outskirts of Angel Grove Park. 

She could feel her heart pounding. She knew with each step she took, that she was making her way further away from school, and deeper into trouble.

She hadn't planned to skip school, and the thought of getting caught terrified her. But, she also felt she had no other choice. She couldn't possibly have lasted through an entire day at school, at least not without embarrassing herself in front of all her friends.

Jason's parents' had offered her the choice to remain at home, but she had insisted that she wanted to go to school.

_I don't want it to be any different to any other day, _she had told them.

Part of her response had been truthful, being that she didn't want to spend the day at home where she knew that Kath would fuss over her.

But another part of her knew she never intended to go to school. She could feel the tension that had been building between her and her friends, and she didn't want to break down in front of them. The feelings were so difficult for her to consume, and quite frankly, she felt ashamed that she couldn't deal with her anguish.

She felt bad that she'd gotten so upset at Trini the day before hand at school. Kimberly knew she wasn't being fair on her friends, but she couldn't stop herself from outwardly expressing the anger and depression that had been following her around. Now to add to her list, she'd lied to Jason that morning at school and could only imagine the trouble she would cause for them all now.

_If I can make it through today, everything will be fine, and we'll be able to return to normal, _she tried to reason to herself. She scoffed inwardly at the thought, knowing that she couldn't truly believe that.

_I've ruined everything…my friends are never going to talk to me again… _

* * *

Jason paced through the main corridor of school, turning the corner and quickening his stride as he spotted his friends up ahead. He stopped before them and leaned over to catch his breath for a moment, before he straightened himself up. 

"What are we going to do?" Zack asked him.

"We have to look around as many places as we can think of," Jason explained, "We have to think of where Kimberly would go..."

Trini raised a solemn gaze. "Mr. McLaughlin didn't say anything more to you this afternoon?" She asked him.

He shook his head. "No, he said to me at lunch that he spoke to my parents and neither of them know where she is. They both left work early and have gone looking for her, but mom thinks that she just needed some time on her own and that we shouldn't worry about her."

Zack frowned. "Wouldn't they have found her by now?" He wondered out loud, his tone full of concern.

"Not if she's hiding," Billy spoke up from beside him, "She did tell us that she wanted to be left alone."

"Well, I don't care if she's hiding, we have to go and look for her," Jason told them and they all nodded in agreement.

"Where would she go?" Zack asked.

"Maybe to the cemetery?" Trini suggested quietly.

Jason had thought about that idea already, but had quickly dismissed it knowing that that would have been the first place his parents would have looked.

"No, I don't think so," he told her gently, "I think she's gone somewhere else."

They looked at each other for a moment, as they each tried to contemplate the situation.

* * *

_I am so freezing, _Kimberly thought miserably to herself as she clutched her arms around her knees and rested her head against the large boulder behind her. _I wish it would stop raining, it's so depressing..._

Kimberly had been sitting beside the lonely shore of Angel Grove lake for the entire day in the misty, yet unrelenting rain. It was one of her favorite places in the world, and while she usually visited when there were families and teenagers picnicking or playing nearby, she knew that today the area would be fairly deserted.

_No one would be stupid enough to sit in the rain, _she thought to herself.

The weather had remained unchanged for the hours that passed her by, yet the emotions and thoughts within her rotated around like all four seasons.

She had spent the first hour thinking about how much trouble she'd get into for skipping school, and how amusing it was that she had managed to get herself into more trouble that week then she had in her entire life combined.

Her thoughts had then drifted to the day, and her parents. She sobbed miserably, thinking of nothing in particular, just their faces and how much she felt she was forgetting them. Did she even deserve to be happy, to pretend that her life was okay, when her parents both died but she lived? How she wished that she could rid herself of the guilt that plagued her when she thought about them.

Emotions from a year ago, reminded her of all the changes she'd endured over the previous twelve months, and she began to think about all the people who had came together to help her.

She thought about Jason, and the secrets she shared with him; the nights where she found comfort beside him after battling with her own disturbing conscience. Despite everything around her, she trusted him beyond anyone else, and she didn't know why. She'd always liked him; despite the secret crush she'd had on him the year before hand, she was so glad now daysthat she had someone to talk to who seemed to know more about the world than she did.

_But now he probably never wants to talk to me again, _Kimberly thought bitterly, _and neither will Trini…I've been so mean to my closest friends… _

And then finally, as she looked at her watch and saw that the school day was over, her mind briefly returned to thoughts of how she was going to get herself out of trouble. And as the realism of the day hit home, she started to realize that she had no clear idea as to why she'd been so upset that week.

_Was it because of the anniversary of today?_ _Maybe, but it's just an anniversary…It doesn't mean I have to be upset and act stupid for no reason… _

_Was it maybe because I feel sad in my new life? No, it can't be that, because I'm not sad. I like my life in Angel Grove; I have a nice room, people who look after me… _

_Then was it because I miss my parents? Probably- yes, yes I do…I miss them so much… _

_Do I really think that my friends don't care about me? Of course not…they tell me every day how much they care about me…If they weren't my friend's, they wouldn't have tried to bring me back to Angel Grove in the first place. It's all my fault. This is my entire fault! _

"Kimberly!"

Kimberly looked away from the lake startled as she heard her name being called in the distance.

Her eyes widened in trepidation. She took a deep breath and courageously stood up, her eyes falling on her friends who she could see in the clearing ahead.

"I'm here!" She called back. She watched as they all turned in her direction, and sprinted over to her quiet spot by the water.

"We were so worried about you!" Trini cried, as she hugged Kimberly tightly. Kimberly hugged her best friend back, and stopped her from pulling away when she felt her start to move backwards.

"Where have you been all day?" She heard Zack ask.

Kimberly reluctantly pulled out of Trini's embrace and shrugged. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to go to school today..." Was her only reply.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jason asked her, his eyes fixed on her with concern, "Mr. McLaughlin and my mom and dad have been looking for you all day, not to mention we were worried about you when you didn't show up for class."

Kimberly lowered her gaze and slowly sat back down in her previous position, bringing her legs back to her chest. She watched as her friends all sat in a circle beside her, and smiled sadly as Jason and Trini both draped a consoling arm around her.

"You're soaking wet, Kim," Jason pointed out.

She shrugged gently and then looked at each of her friends. "Guys, there's something I need to tell you..." She announced softly.

"What is it?" Trini coaxed her.

She bit her lip. "I'm really sorry for being so mean to you all this week," Kimberly finally spoke up, fresh tears welling in her eyes.

"Kim, it's-."

"Wait," she cut Zack off, before she quickly rubbed her eyes with her hand. "I've been totally mean and stupid...I've just been embarrassed, because I hate feeling this way and I don't know how to deal with it. You guys have all been so nice to me, and I've been horrible to you the whole time..."

"It's okay," Trini reassured her, "We're not angry at you at all."

She blinked, struggling against the urge to burst into tears.

"We just want to know what we can do to help," Zack told her.

She looked to her right as Jason removed his jacket and draped it around her shoulders and she smiled at him thankfully. "I spent today thinking about so many things," she began, "But after I was thinking about my parents and stuff, I started to realize that I worried myself too much about today. I was angry at myself because I caused so much trouble for nothing. I don't know why, but I just get scared and I find it hard to talk about..."

"We never wanted to ask about today, because we didn't know if you wanted to talk about it," Trini admitted. "We never meant to look like we were whispering about you behind your back. If you want to talk to us about why you're sad, then we want you to do it."

Kimberly nodded and then she smiled sheepishly. "I kinda wouldn't mind getting out of this rain, though," she admitted, turning to look at Jason. "Am I going to be in trouble?" She asked him.

He shook his head. "After school finished, we were going to go looking for you, but by then my mom came and saw us and she asked us if we'd seen you. I told her we hadn't, but that we knew some places where you might have gone. She said that we could go and look for you, and that Zack's parents' were also looking around-." He stopped suddenly as she stared at him terrified and he flashed her a reassuring smile, "It's okay, my mom knows that you just needed to be by yourself...you might get a talking to about running off alone and stuff, but you won't get into trouble."

"Really?"

"Let's go, Kim," Trini spoke up, as the group of teenagers slowly gathered themselves up and headed towards the path out of the deserted park.

* * *

"Guys, come and grab some pizza while it's hot!" Jason announced from where he was seated on the floor in the living room. 

He heard excited steps from out in the hallway, and couldn't contain a laugh as he watched Zack burst through the entrance way and dramatically rush over to the open pizza box. Trini and Billy hurried through behind him and Kimberly wondered through close by, as the five friends gathered around the wooden table and feverishly downed the well-topped meal.

Jason savored each mouthful as he finished his first slice and then moved onto a second piece. He was content inside, and relieved at how the day had turned out for them all. After the horrible emotions he'd endured through school all day, he couldn't have been more relieved that after it all, they'd found Kimberly and everything turned out okay.

Just as Jason had promised Kimberly before they had left the park that afternoon, his parents hadn't gotten mad at her when they finally arrived home. He could still tell that Kimberly was embarrassed by her actions, and so he suggested to his parents that a pizza night with her friends might help cheer her up. So, while she had showered, Jason made the arrangements and Zack, Trini and Billy arrived shortly after for what was proving to be a peaceful night for the group of friends.

"Oh my gosh, Zack, you are not going to eat another piece!" Kimberly exclaimed with disbelief as she pointed to the African American boy with wide eyes.

Zack smiled at her with his mouth full and nodded his head slowly. "And I pan to hav a fof pees-."

"We can't understand you, Zack!" Trini laughed, as she took a sip of her soda.

The friends continued their jibing as the two pizzas' quickly vanished and they moved onto consuming a bowl full of candy.

"So Kim, are you feeling better now?" Billy asked her. It was the first time since the park that any of them had brought 'That' up, but Jason sensed that Kimberly was in a much better state to be talking about it all now.

Kimberly finished the sweet treats in her mouth and nodded. "I'm okay," she replied, "I'm much better than I was this morning."

"Hey, I noticed you guys are using your fireplace tonight," Zack commented, as he motioned with his head towards the flickering flames in the nearby fireplace.

Jason nodded his head and eyed Kimberly carefully. "Yeah, it's the first time we've used it for weeks," he explained.

"Since I moved in," Kimberly elaborated, "Tonight's the first time I've been near a fire since...well, for a year."

Trini smiled and gently hugged her friend. "Wow, Kim, you're so brave!" She beamed.

"Yeah, that's awesome!" Zack added enthusiastically.

Kimberly rolled her eyes in mock sarcasm and then giggled. "You don't have to be so nice, it's so stupid...I mean, it's embarrassing to be scared of a tiny flame in a fireplace," she commented, the embarrassment written on her face. "But, to tell you all the truth, I didn't think I'd ever be able to be near a fire again...I told Jason's dad tonight that I was ready to try it and so I watched him light it, and well, I'm okay with it..."

"Did you see the story on the news?" Zack asked her gently, "They had something on the news about the anniversary of the fire..."

Kimberly shook her head. "I didn't watch the news, I didn't want to see anything about it," she admitted. "I guess I'm not ready to see all of that yet."

"Can I ask you something?" Zack asked her carefully. Kimberly nodded. "How often do you think about it, you know the fire and stuff?"

Kimberly puckered her lips to the side of her face quickly, as though she was deep in thought. "Maybe once every few days," she finally replied, "I use to think about it nearly everyday, especially when I was in LA, because everything I did reminded me how sad I was. But then when I moved back here, I was really happy..." she looked at Jason, "I really liked moving in here," she repeated and he smiled quickly in return.

"Maybe once you feel better completely you could join the karate class?" Billy spoke up, his comment surprising them all. Kimberly looked at him curiously. "I have joined, and I think that if I could do it, then you certainly could do it," he explained.

"I don't know," Kimberly commented, unsure, "It's not really my thing, and it's something that you guys as a group-."

"Kimberly, you are part of our group," Trini assured her, "I know that you've been feeling like you don't belong with us, but you do. We're you're friends, nothing has changed."

Kimberly smiled gratefully. "I'll see how I feel," she promised them, "Thanks guys for caring about me so much, I'm really glad that you guys are my friends."

"We're going to be friends for a long time," Trini commented with a smile.

Zack opened his mouth and motioned to Jason with his eyes to toss a piece of candy into his gaping lips. Jason shook his head in amusement, and then attempted the action, laughing as piece after piece hit Zack everywhere but on target.

Kimberly sniggered at the display and then quickly composed herself as the two boys stared at her. She looked over to Billy. "Billy, did Jason and Zack have to pay you to be friends with them?" She asked slyly, as she collapsed into giggles and gave Trini a high five.

"Ha ha," Zack muttered sarcastically, as he threw a Malteaser in her direction.

Billy, still unfamiliar with Kimberly's humor, nodded his head and gazed at her seriously. "Actually, it's not a very remarkable story, I'm afraid," he replied honestly, "I became friends with Jason through his mother at one of her support groups in the city."

Kimberly's light-hearted expression somewhat dimmed and Jason quickly spoke up. "Yeah, but then I thought it was a good chance to become buddies with someone who could help me with my homework," he added, hoping his comment would revive the mood.

Jason watched as Kimberly lowered her face in her lap and he instinctually reached out his hand and rubbed her back as he heard her cry. He exchanged a look with Zack and Billy who both seemed awkward by the sudden change of mood, and then watched as Trini knelt in front of her and gently stroked her hair.

"Kim?" Trini whispered gently.

Jason frowned quickly as he heard Kimberly laugh tightly through her sobbing and she slowly raised her head. "I'm sorry guys," she whispered.

"I'm sorry if I upset you, Kim," Jason apologized, but she quickly shook her head.

"No," she offered with a quick breath. "I'm crying because I feel like I can in front of you all…thanks for not making a big deal about it."

"You can cry whenever you feel like it," Trini told her, the caring centers of her eyes reaching out and consoling her friend.

Zack raised an eyebrow at Trini's comment, as if to say 'don't tell her that' and Trini widened her eyes at him, before she returned her attention back to Kimberly. "Is there anything you want to talk about?" Trini asked as the tiny brunette rubbed her eyes with her hands.

Kimberly ran a burst of breath through her closed lips and then nodded with a tight smile. "Sure, if you guys wanna listen, there's heaps I wanna tell you…"

---

**Next in Episode Three: 'Accident Prone'** _– The teenagers attend a sleep-over party for Zack. They soon find themselves __in all sorts of trouble, however, as a day of mucking around lands them in hot water. Kimberly confronts the past when she comes across reminders of the fire, and Jason is thrown back when he meets a young and disturbed boy. _

_A/N#2: This took longer than expected to update, because I had a drunk driver run into my car last week, which put me in the hospital for five days. So, with plenty of time in my hands while I lay around in bed for the next couple of weeks, I won't be so slow to update…hopefully...Also, the glum chapters will be lightening up now, so rest assured we'll be seeing everyone a bit more happier on the whole, at least for a little while..._


	4. Ep3: Accident Prone

**R&R: Rebirth of the Legacy**

**Accident Prone - Episode 3**

By Chanelle Summer

_A/N- Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad you liked the emotions in the last chapter; hopefully you'll like this chapter for being less emotional. As you'll see, this chapter picks up 18 months after the last one, and that is done for a reason. And once again, thanks for taking the time to read my story and review it!_

**Summary**

_The friends attend a birthday party for Zack. Meanwhile, they all begin their lives in the world of High School, and Jason finds himself in hot water after a fun day with his friends turns bad. _

* * *

**_18 Months later…The Scott Residence, Angel Grove._**

_**Saturday August 7th 1993**_

Jason paced the hallway, stopping at the front of the bathroom. He sighed and glanced down at his watch

_It's already three o'clock; that's when I told him we'd get there!_

He sighed again and knocked on the door for the third time. "Kimberly!"

_How long does it take to your hair? _He thought incredulously to himself, as once again he received no response, nor any indication that Kimberly was ready to go.

This was the usual routine they had gone through before school or any other outing over the past year and a half, but he had thought that when she began doing her hair almost two hours earlier that she would have already been done. At the rate she was going that afternoon, they'd end up being a week late to Zack's fifteenth birthday party.

He knocked again. "Kimberly, come on, we're gonna be late!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'm coming! Sheesh!" He heard her respond frustrated from the other side of the closed door.

He stepped back suddenly as the door swung open and she flounced out, long curls bouncing off her back as she brushed past him towards her bedroom. He turned around and followed behind her, waiting in her entrance way as he watched her hurry around in a fluster. He raised an eyebrow as she grabbed two outfits from her wardrobe, and folded them neatly on her bed.

"Um, we're only going for the night, Kim," he reminded her rather amusedly.

She stopped and pouted at him, before rushing over to her vanity table.

"You can chuck your stuff in my bag if you want, I have plenty of room," he offered, motioning to the dark travel bag sitting in the hallway.

She nodded. "That'd be great," she responded, grabbing the pile of clothes and plopping them in his extended arm.

He raised another eyebrow, and then turned, shoveling the outfits into the bag.

"Hey, be careful with those!" She whined at his careless treatment of her belongings, and he shrugged a weak apology.

"Make sure you grab our sleeping bags," he pointed to the red and pink matching bags nearby.

They gathered themselves, and satisfied they were both ready, they started down the hallway. They came to a stop as his mother suddenly appeared before them, seemingly rushing around herself.

"Are you sure you two don't want a lift?" She asked them.

"Nah mom, we're right," Jason responded. Even though going by car would get them there sooner, Zack's house was not that far, and he could tell his mother was not ready to leave then, anyhow.

His mother finished clipping her earrings on and nodded. "Take care of each other and have fun, I'll be over in the morning to pick you up at eleven, so be ready," she told them.

"We will," Kimberly assured her, as the two teens made their way out the front door and on their way to Zack's house.

Jason switched the bag over to his other shoulder, as they wondered along the path. Kimberly soon began skipping about, as she carried one sleeping bag in each hand and they both enjoyed their walk amongst their comfortable silence.

"Hey, check this out," she said to him suddenly, motioning with her arms for him to stop. She dropped the bags to the ground and turned around, breaking into a small sprint, before throwing her hands over her head and launching into a round off followed by a back handspring.

The momentum forced her to throw her hands in the air and she simultaneously flashed him a toothy grin. "Did you see that?" She exclaimed enthusiastically, slowly putting her hands on her hips as he stared back at her perplexed.

"I've seen you do that like a million times," he finally responded, slowly starting back along the path, "What was supposed to be so special about it?"

She slumped her shoulders, quickly grabbing the two sleeping bags and then began pacing beside him. "I nearly did it without any hands," she commented, "You obviously weren't paying any attention."

He rolled his eyes and they crossed the road. "Do you think Zack will like what I got him?" Jason asked her, thinking about the video game he chose for his best friend.

She nodded. "Yeah, he likes all that stuff," she responded, "You know Zack though, he doesn't care about the presents, he just cares about the party...I just hope he doesn't make us play some revolting truth or dare like last year!"

Jason laughed as he thought back to the occasion. "Yeah, that was gross! I mean, just thinking about you and Trini eating those spoonfuls of dog food is enough to turn me off having a dog forever!" He exclaimed, squirming his nose.

She giggled. "It was only a small spoon! Anyway, I think when his mom walked in on it, she nearly had a total fit, so I don't think we'll be doing that again this year...I just hope he invited some girls this time," Kimberly commented, "I told him to invite Cindy and Sarah, but he didn't tell me whether they were coming or not..."

Jason nodded, but didn't respond, instead thinking about what had happened with Kimberly earlier that morning.

It had been like all the other times, except for the fact that he hadn't been expecting her. Her gentle and quiet arrival softly stirred him from his sleep and he remembered he rolled over, but it was too dark for him to see her. He waited for her to speak, but only the silence of the night remained, and so he gently whispered her name. Without any questions being asked, she told him she was okay and they both quickly returned to sleep.

But by the morning, she was gone. No explanation and no usual discussion about what nightmare had plagued her during the night.

Jason assumed that was why Kimberly spent the day avoiding him in an unobvious manner, locking herself in her room until she moved her self-imprisonment to the bathroom in preparation for Zack's party. He knew that it was usual for her to close up and cover up her feelings with her exterior exuberance, but with the prospect of spending the night at Zack's, he knew it was time to talk to her about it.

"So, I uh was wondering if you're okay after what happened last night?" He finally asked, feeling awkward, "You haven't done that for ages, and I know that we're sleeping at Zack's but-."

"I'm fine, Jason," she replied, watching the path ahead, "Don't worry, I promise I won't do anything to embarrass you tonight...if you want, I can even sleep on the opposite side of the room to you."

He shook his head dismissively. "No, I'm not saying I'm embarrassed," he quickly said, "I just thought that if you were having bad dreams again, then maybe you should say something to my mom?"

That was the big one.

Jason held Kimberly's hidden, fragile side in his hands; her mid-night visits to him over the past two years a secret they had both kept. Her sudden appearances had dramatically dropped in numbers over the years, but despite the talks they shared, Jason never managed to cure all of her misery. The dreams always returned.

He realized the moment he mentioned discussing the incident with his mother that he should have kept the words in his mouth, for she immediately came to a stop and dropped her head.

He could see the tension run over her face and he mentally slapped himself, _great Jason, just the perfect way to get her to not trust you..._

"I thought you said you wouldn't say anything..." she began, her voice cracking.

"I-I won't," he stammered, stepping towards her, "Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up..." He sighed and waited as she lifted her gaze, her lips puckered to the side of her face, "You know it doesn't bother me, you know you can come and see me whenever you have-."

"Look, it's fine, it won't happen again," she spoke up quickly, breaking into a pace, "We're gonna be late."

He sighed, and reluctantly followed after her, jogging so he could catch up to her fast gait.

* * *

Trini watched the screen ahead, the intense and dark scene before her slowing her breathing so much that she knew she was close to holding her breath altogether. The trademark suspenseful, background music was the only noise amongst the dark room of teenagers, and Trini tried to stop squirming as she unintentionally clung onto Kimberly who was squeezing her hand back equally tight. 

_I hate horror movies, _Trini thought to herself over and over again, as she closed her eyes every few moments.

In a way she was grateful for Zack and Jason's comical comments every time the fictional monster killed one of its victims, but inside she still wanted to scream out loud that she was scared and didn't want to watch the stupid movie. The only reason she had even agreed to watching the horror film was for Zack's sake, but she was now regretting her decision and sat there hoping the movie would be over soon.

"Eew!" Kimberly suddenly burst out, turning her head and barreling her face into Trini's shoulder.

Trini grimaced at the graphic scene and closed her eyes.

"Aw, come on girls, what's so scary about some stupid looking jelly man?" Zack commented from the carpet below them.

"It's gross, that's what it is," Kimberly murmured back, her face still buried in Trini's shoulder, "And it's freaking me out."

"Kimberly's right," Trini added, exchanging a pleading look with Zack, "This film is a lot scarier then it looked on the cover..."

Zack sighed, and threw a pillow at the two girls. He reluctantly got up and stopped the videotape, quickly sauntering over to flick the light on in the room.

"There you go, your royal highnesses," he said with a mock bow.

Kimberly nodded her head in relief. "Thanks Zack, I'm sorry," she offered.

Zack shrugged casually, as always, pleased to keep his friend's happy. "It's okay, I'll finish watching it tomorrow," he assured her.

"So, what do you wanna do now, Zack?" Jason asked up. He brought himself into a sitting position from where he'd been lying on the ground between Zack and Billy, "Maybe we should play a game?"

Trini rolled her eyes, knowing all to well what type of games Zack liked to play.

Kimberly didn't miss a beat. "Um, if you plan to make me eat some disgusting moldy food or some kind of insect, count me out," she pre-warned.

"Yeah, I mean you've already made us play spin the bottle," Trini pointed out, "I don't think I could come back after that gross drink you made me have during truth or dare after dinner."

"Maybe we could play a board game of some kind?" Billy suggested, "Do you have any?"

Zack stared at his friend thoughtfully, and then clicked his fingers excitedly. "I got just the right thing," he responded enthusiastically, heading out to the hallway before hurrying back into the room, flipping the box over in his hands so they could all see.

"Twister!" Kimberly exclaimed with a little clap, "I love that game!"

The other teenagers all agreed it was a great choice and excitedly set the game up. Trini offered to sit out in the first game so her four friends could play.

Trini loved having sleepovers with her friends, and Zack's house was one of her favorite places to stay. Not just because Zack was always full of fun and enthusiastic ideas, but because his parents always allowed them to have muck around and stay up late. She had been looking forward to his party since the start of summer break, knowing that Zack would have a lot of crazy activities planned for them.

She wasn't wrong, either.

Along with their usual collective of five, Zack had invited some mutual friends from school and karate class for pizza and cake, and he'd made the twelve teenagers play a game of spin the bottle, much to everyone's disgust. Trini was so relieved that she didn't have to go first, and desired to sit out altogether, but Kimberly had taken her hand and convinced her to play with her. Trini had never kissed a boy before, and she had been nervous about the prospect of her first kiss being at a birthday party in front of a group of kids from school.

So, Trini had instead watched with strange curiosity as Zack managed to get the first two kisses, much to his delight. His relaxed demeanor was contagious and by the third spin, everyone was having just as much fun, awkward pecks on the lips, succumbing into fits of embarrassed giggles and teasing. By the fourth go, it had been Zack's spin, and when his third kissing partner turned out to be Kimberly, even Trini couldn't hold back an amused laugh as her two friends performed the most awkward peck on the lips she'd ever seen.

Then when it came time for Jason to spin the bottle, Trini had watched apprehensively as the bottle landed towards Kimberly. Her best friend had instantly scoffed, asking if they were doing it to her on purpose, but Zack merely laughed. Rubbing his hands together, he told them both to "Pucker up" and then everyone else began chanting "Kiss! Kiss!"

So of course, Trini was immensely relieved when dinner was delivered just in time before her turn, sparing her from using her first kiss at that moment. They all enjoyed some pizza and cake, followed by a game of truth and dare, the boys all stopping at nothing to think of the most revolting dares for the girls to do. Trini was quite happy to take the truth option, unlike Kimberly who felt she had something to prove, and happily obliged to each and every dare handed to her. It was not long after that the rest of Zack's guests were picked up, leaving the group of five alone to enjoy the rest of the night with Zack.

Trini looked up from her thoughts as Kimberly began laughing loudly from where she as sprawled out on the Twister mat. Trini noticed their conversation and realized that her four friends' were mid-way through a boasting competition.

"I believe I won the last time we played," Jason pointed out competitively, as he went for his third go, "I do not plan to lose that title."

Zack cocked his head, and then shook it dismissively. "Nuh, man, you have not seen the latest moves of the Zack-man," he retorted confidently.

"Uh, I think you guys are forgetting that I do gymnastics," Kimberly spoke up, as she maneuvered her hand under Zack's stomach, her two legs linked between Billy's arms'.

Billy grunted as Jason moved him into a compromising position. "I'll admit right at this present moment, that I do not have the capabilities to win a game that requires such physical flexibility," he spoke up.

Trini smiled and clapped as Billy continued to cling to the mat for dear life. "You're doing good, Billy, don't give up!" she cheered on.

She was glad to see Billy taking part in the game, and wanted to encourage him as much as she could. Out of their small group, Trini felt particularly close to Billy because they both had similar personalities, and she always felt at ease with him. That's not to say that Trini didn't enjoy her other friends just as much, but the other two boys were obsessed with sports and Kimberly seemed to have always been better suited to Zack and Jason.

Trini's cheering did little to help her clever friend, though. After a few more minutes of battle on the Twister mat passed, Kimberly finally claimed victory, much to her clear satisfaction.

"Told ya girls rule!" She teased and Trini gave her best friend a high five.

They all turned around as Zack's father suddenly appeared in the doorway. "Kids, I think it's time for bed," he told them gently, pointing to the clock on the wall, "It's past midnight, and you guys have karate in the morning."

They all groaned, but reluctantly complied, immediately turning to organize their sleeping arrangements while Mr. Taylor supervised them. Trini rolled her sleeping bag out on the ground beside Kimberly, who began to arrange her fluorescent pink blanket quietly. Zack was the only one chattering away, telling them all how he planned to scare them through the night. He did his best to teasingly tell them not to dream about the freaky science-fiction killer in the movie they had watched a couple of hours earlier.

"Zack, you are always the one to fall asleep first," Trini pointed out, as she reached over for her pillow, "I don't see how you plan to do anything, if you're too busy sleeping away."

Zack smiled mischievously at her as he dragged his blanket towards them, however he came to a halt as Jason suddenly stopped besides Kimberly.

"I'm gonna sleep here," Jason announced, as he quickly rolled out his blanket right beside Kimberly's.

Trini quickly exchanged a look with both Zack and Billy, the three friend's all picking up Jason and Kimberly's sudden awkward behavior. It wasn't unusual that Jason and Kimberly usually stuck together during most things, but Trini thought it was strange for Jason to practically demand he sleep right beside her. More interesting to Trini, though, was the look of relief in Kimberly's eyes'.

_I wonder what that's all about?_

"So, you guys all ready?" Zack asked them, as his four friends laid on the ground in a row.

"Ready as we'll ever be," Trini told him, as the birthday boy turned the light off, blanketing the room in near complete darkness.

Trini could see Zack walk in front of them to his own sleeping arrangement, his body casting a shadow on the moonlit wall up ahead. The streams of white light that crept between the curtains were the only light in the room, and Trini quickly adjusted her eyes. She wasn't going to give Zack the satisfaction of pulling some prank on her.

"Happy birthday, Zack," Kimberly's voice crept through the darkness.

"Yeah, it was a fun night," Jason added.

"I should be the one thanking you guys," Zack said from the opposite side of their huddle, "You gave me way too many priceless moments that I won't be forgetting about any time soon..."

"Well, don't think I won't be planning my revenge for my party," Jason replied, "I have two months to prepare something that will get you back twice as bad."

"We'll see," Zack jibbed.

Trini smiled through the obscurity as the silence slowly drifted between them and a faint breathing sound slowly replaced the chatter after a few minutes.

"So much for his plans to scare us," Kimberly suddenly spoke up quietly, her comment obviously about Zack who they could all hear was already asleep.

Trini giggled. "He's hopeless!"

"Good night girls," Jason said.

"Nite, Jase," Trini said, as she snuggled her hand under her pillow and slowly closed her eyes, relieved that the practical joker of the group was such a heavy sleeper.

* * *

_**Angel Grove High School **_

_**Tuesday, September 7th 1993**_

Kimberly held her breath and nervously opened the door to the classroom, feeling both nervous and apprehensive on what would greet her on the other side of the door. It was her first class as a freshman at Angel Grove High school, and just getting herself a locker had been stressful enough, especially when she was split up from her friends.

She stood before the nearly full class of loudly chattering students, everyone almost immediately turning their heads to stare at her as she wondered around, trying to work out where to sit. She practically jumped for joy, however, a smile gracing her face as she recognized three familiar faces.

"Hey, we saved you a seat," Jason told her as she quickly sat down at a small table between him and Zack.

"Oh my God, I am so glad that I made it here," she muttered as she nervously arranged her notebook and pens on the table.

Billy turned around from in front of her. "From the schedule we were supplied with this morning, it appears that we have Mrs. Walker for this class, the same teacher who made the formal introductions at the assembly," he told her.

Kimberly puckered her lips to the side of her face at Billy's comment.

_Great, she'll never stop talking,_ Kimberly thought to herself with growing dread, thinking back at the elderly woman's lengthy speeches to the ninth grade that morning.

It was as if on cue that the Mathematics teacher sauntered into the classroom, dropping a large pile of thick textbooks on her desk at the front. The loud thump made Kimberly jump, the rest of the room quieting down into a silent hush.

"Good morning, class, as you will all be aware, my name is Mrs. Walker," she announced, turning to write her name on the board.

Kimberly continued to stare at the teacher, but her drawn out words slowly blurred past her ears as Kimberly almost immediately began to think about the busy morning she'd had, and all the other exciting elements that she was facing as a freshman.

She casually glanced around the classroom, checking out her new classmates, before thinking about her plans to try out for the cheerleading squad later that week. She was excited about the fresh start the school was offering her, and was looking forward to all the extra curricular activities she'd be given the opportunity to take part in.

_I wonder when they'll have the first meeting for the horticulture club, and where I can find out about the school gymnastics team-. _

"Kimberly!" Jason suddenly hissed her way.

Kimberly looked up, and blinked her eyes several times, before she noticed that she had twenty sets of eyes on her. She gulped, and looked back at Jason, hoping he would tell her why she was suddenly the center of attention.

Mrs. Walker sighed dramatically. "Glad to see you are still with us," she said, eyeing Kimberly disapprovingly, "In case you were too busy not paying attention, it is your turn to tell the class a bit about yourself…your name, a bit about yourself and how strong you feel your ability in mathematics is."

Kimberly nodded quickly, and began speaking without hesitation. "Ah um, my name is Kimberly Hart, I enjoy gymnastics and music," she thought quickly about the next part of her response. "Mathematics is not my best subject, however I'm usually pretty confident with the main areas."

Kimberly practically sighed with relief as the teacher moved her attention to the seat behind her. Kimberly turned her head around to see who it was, her forehead creasing as she recognized the two numskulls who were seated behind her and Zack.

_Great, I can't believe they're in my class! _

She'd known the two troublemakers since the second grade, and both her and her friends had been the brunt of their pointless harassment and annoyance for more years then she cared to remember. How they still found themselves in that unfortunate position was still a mystery to Kimberly, and all she knew was that ever since the day she'd told Skull she didn't 'like' him in the fourth grade, she'd never been able to escape their pitiful bother. Luckily through Middle School, she'd seen less of them, being that they were not in her classes, but it seemed her luck had finally ran out. As she looked at the two physically opposite friends, it still amazed her how they were as close as they were.

"The name's Bulk," Farkas Bulkmeier muttered, before returning to chew on an already heavy gnawed pencil. He tried to straighten himself in his chair, but Kimberly could tell the overweight, faux leather-clad teenager was having difficulty fitting behind his desk.

Kimberly rolled her eyes and Bulk leant over and sneered at her before gazing back towards the front of the class. "I live in a house, and I am confident with all areas of math's," He finished his reply.

Zack sniggered, the bully's comments raising a few giggles from around the class.

Beside him, Eugene Skullovitch seemed to be using a pencil as an ear cleaner as his face twisted into a display of confusion. "Hey Bulky, if you're so good at math's, then why did you fail math's at Junior High?" The skinny boy asked his counterpart innocently.

Mrs. Walker loudly scowled, and Bulk rolled his eyes. "Skull, this is a new school, remember?" He said to him, before leaning back in his chair, "None of these teachers know us, just play along with their little games and they won't know any different."

Mrs. Walker marched towards them and placed her hands on her hips. "Believe me Eugene and Farkas, your previous teachers have given us a rather comprehensive file on your performances at your previous school," she assured them with a scowl.

Kimberly laughed at them, before turning to face the front of the room, as their teacher began once again drifting off into a lengthy speech about what they'd be studying that semester. This time, she made sure she paid close attention, not wanting to embarrass herself again on her first day.

* * *

_**Tuesday, September 28th 1993 **_

"Jason, you work on the vegetables, and Sarah and I will work on getting the rest ready, okay?"

Jason stared back at Trini and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, I guess that sounds right," he replied, and he watched as his two female partners in home economics class turned around to tackle their part of their dish.

Jason turned back to the sink, and grabbed a cutting board, picking up the large knife and a few carrots, before he began slicing them in their desired shapes. He knew that Trini realized he wasn't the most natural chef in the class, and was grateful that she was thoughtful enough to give him the cooking duties that required the least amount of cuisine knowledge.

_I think anyone can cut vegetables_, he thought to himself. He raised his gaze to the right as he heard Bulk and Skull make some awful noises from their area of the classroom, and shook his head quickly. _Okay, maybe I was wrong, maybe some people can't even do that…_

Jason had been enjoying his time at Angel Grove High, and was surprised at how well he and his friends had settled in over their first few weeks. He was getting his homework done easily every day, and still had plenty of time for karate class and hanging out with the others. They'd all made new friends, but none of them had chosen to leave the comfort zone of their five-spoke group for too long, and so nothing had really changed. Along with all the exciting sporting opportunities that High School offered, he'd also enjoyed all the new classes like woodwork, however he wasn't sure how he felt about being in a cooking class.

"Argh!" He suddenly gasped, as a sharp jolt of pain shot up his arm. His hand immediately began to throb as he realized the blade of the sharp knife had sliced through his hand. He instantly dropped the blade and grabbed the gaping wound with his other hand before turning around to get some attention.

"Jason, are you…Oh my gosh!" Trini suddenly blurted out, before she turned to get the teacher's attention, "Mrs. Caulfield! Mrs. Caulfield!"

The overweight, middle-aged woman turned her interest their way, and paced over to them. "Trini? What's the matter?"

Trini pointed Jason's way and he gingerly raised his gaze. "I cut myself," he admitted.

The cooking teacher stared at him in alarm, and quickened her pace, the rest of the class turning to see what all the fuss was about.

"Show me," she asked him.

Jason wanted to move his other hand to show her, but it was hurting so much and he didn't think he was able to. She finally grabbed his hand gently, and carefully inspected the wound, a stricken look grabbing hold of her expression.

"Quick, we better get you medical attention," She told him.

On the short trek to the nurse's office, all Jason could think about was how embarrassed he was. The large amount of blood that was bursting to gush from his clumsy accident was no longer his main concern, and he couldn't help but feel he was a complete weakling for acting like that in front of his classmates.

He walked through the door to the nurse's office, and the redheaded woman flashed him a welcoming smile. "Come, sit down, let me take a look," she told him in a gentle voice.

She carefully attended to the wound, and Jason was amazed upon looking at the freshly cleaned laceration that it didn't appear to be anywhere near as serious as he first thought.

"I thought it was worse than that," he admitted to her quietly, as she finished wrapping a thin bandage around the palm.

She nodded. "Yes, these things tend to look more serious before they're cleaned up," she told him, "But you will need to look after it. Your mother's on the way to pick you up now."

* * *

"Punch One, Punch Two…Block Three, Punch Four…High Block Five…" 

Trini carefully followed the instructor's moves, her mind clear of anything else but trying to perfect each karate step as flawlessly as possible. In between exercises, she'd look beside her and feel strange to not see her friend in red bursting his moves in the center of the class, but she reminded herself that he was injured and sitting out. She could only imagine how frustrated Jason was at missing his first lesson in the entire time Trini had been in his class.

The martial arts students all came to a stop and the end of class was announced. Trini walked over and picked up her knitted cardigan, before turning to go and wait for her father to pick her up.

"Hey Trini!" Kimberly's squeaky voice called out to her. Trini looked up into the juice bar, and offered her friends a little wave, before jogging up to join her and Jason.

"Hey guys, I wasn't expecting to see you here," she commented, as she took the empty seat beside Kimberly. Trini eyed Jason carefully, noticing the dull look in his eyes. He always held himself with such unflagging strength, but one of the things Trini had learnt about him was that he didn't like to disappoint.

Kimberly, as always, seemed happy enough to speak on behalf of them both. "Jason's mom picked me up from school, and told us that is was okay for Jason to come and watch his karate class, but that he couldn't take part in it today…"

"Yeah, my first class that I've missed," Jason answered dismally, shaking his head.

"Well, you didn't really miss much," Trini commented, hoping to relieve her friend's concern, "I mean, nothing that you don't already know."

Jason shrugged. "Yeah, well I'll be back by next week," he announced.

Kimberly's forehead creased beneath her bangs and she flicked one of her long braids behind her shoulder. "Jason, I don't think you should be rushing, I mean your mom thought your cut was pretty bad," she pointed out, her face slightly squirming.

Jason shook his head. "Nah, it's already much better," he commented.

Kimberly eyed him doubtfully and Trini motioned to Jason's hand. "How does it feel? Does it still hurt?"

"Not really," he said, "It only hurt when I did it, but it doesn't hurt anymore. I just wish I wouldn't have made such a big deal about it in class…"

"We had to, Jason," Trini stated, "It was a big cut, it was nearly across your entire hand…"

"Really?" Kimberly gasped, her mouth slightly agape, "Oh my gosh, that's awful!"

Jason shook his head dismissively. "Really, it's fine," he assured her.

Trini watched him as he suddenly began to unwrap the tightly bound bandage from his hand. Kimberly quickly reached her hand out and placed it on his. "Jason, I don't think you should take it off," she stated cautiously.

"It's too tight," he told her, and she reluctantly removed her hand.

The bandage slowly revealed the flesh of his skin, and he turned his hand over to reveal his palm. The two girls leaned over in their seats, and Trini frowned as she peered closely at her friend's injured hand.

"I thought you guys said that the cut was really big?" Kimberly commented, her eyes mirroring her perplexed tone.

"It was," Trini replied, shaking her head a little, "Wow, what did the nurse do to your hand that made it look so much better?"

Jason shrugged, and Trini couldn't tell whether he was also surprised, or just embarrassed. "I'm not sure…some kind of antiseptic or something…that's why I told you it already feels so much better," he murmured.

Trini nodded. "Yeah, I can't believe how much better it looks already…" Her voice trailed off as she saw their parents walk into the bar, and Trini grabbed her backpack, "I better get going, I'll see you guys tomorrow at school."

They both nodded and smiled, "Sure Trini, see ya," Kimberly said, as the three teenagers made their way over to their parents.

* * *

"See, this is what I mean," Zack commented, as he and Trini sparred lightheartedly on the following Sunday afternoon at the Scott's residence. 

Jason watched his two friends carefully as Zack performed his desired move and Jason nodded his head. "Yeah, that looked pretty good," he agreed, "But I'll show you something even better…"

Jason stood up and walked over to join his friends on the strip of grass. He moved into his defensive stance, before motioning with his hand for Zack to mock attack him. They began to spar when Jason suddenly haltered as he heard a strange cry from Billy only a few yards away.

Jason immediately swung his head around. His intelligent friend was sprawled on the grass beneath the trampoline, and Jason could also see Kimberly leaning over the metal edge, peering down over her fallen friend.

"Billy!" Jason called out as he ran over to him. Jason dropped to the ground, and frowned as Kimberly started to giggle above him. He was about to tell her to stop, when Billy opened his eyes and smiled back up at them both.

"I'm okay," Billy told him as he sat up, "I am completely uninjured, I just fell awkwardly."

Jason sighed and stood up, extending a hand to help Billy to his feet.

"Wow, Billy, when I try to do that move, I usually try to stay on the trampoline," Kimberly teased as she began to bounce around on the large contraption.

Billy nodded. "Perhaps I am finding it so difficult to keep my balance without the usage of my glasses," he pointed out to her.

Jason stepped back and watched as Kimberly continued to soar up and down on the trampoline, her tiny body flying further through the air with each consecutive jump. She grinned down at her four friends when she noticed she had all their attention, and made her way mid-jump to one side of the mat.

"Watch this!" She called out, as she threw herself through the air backwards into a straight-legged flying somersault, bounced, and then immediately flew into a tucked one. Her feet touched the other end of the mat and she simultaneously threw herself into the same combination, this time forwards.

She slowed her jumping to a halt and bowed down at them all, and Jason could see how amazed his friends were at her display.

"Wow, Kim, that was amazing!" Trini beamed.

"Truly astounding!" Billy added.

"Come on Billy, come back up here!" Kimberly motioned with an excited hand gesture.

Jason was surprised when Billy scrambled back onto the trampoline with little hesitation, and chuckled at the thought of the nimble gymnast teaching the uncoordinated scientist to do anything remotely skillful on the trampoline.

"Come on Jase, you were showing me something?" Zack reminded him, and Jason returned back to his sparring match with his friend dressed in black.

The two boys continued to show off their moves, both of them swapping jibes along the way as with each step they tried to do a move that was more difficult than the previous one. Jason managed to get Zack to the ground first, and they both ended up play wrestling on the grass before Kimberly intervened.

"Hey Jason, come up here and we'll show them that move!" Kimberly called out from where she was leaping about on the trampoline with Billy.

Jason made his way over to the trampoline as Billy carefully dropped off, and looked over to make sure his parents weren't anywhere in sight. Both he and Kimberly had been told off in the past for being too reckless on the trampoline, and he didn't desire for them to get into any trouble today.

"What move are you talking about?" Zack asked interested as Jason crawled onto the mat.

"It's really awesome, trust me," Kimberly explained to him enthusiastically. She quickly glanced around, before looking at Jason and they both started to jump up and down in unison.

He slowed his jumping as she moved to the end of the mat and he moved just off center as she bounded higher and higher. He watched her movements closely and then he motioned with his hand for her to start. She faced him and bounded forwards, grabbing his hands with her own and flipping over his head with her body completely straight. He let her go as she flew over his head and landed perfectly on her feet behind him.

Zack started laughing. "Hey, that's awesome!" He exclaimed, "Let me have a try!"

Jason gave Kimberly a high five and then turned to shake his head. "I don't think that's a good idea," he told Zack, "You need to be pretty flexible."

Zack scoffed and shook his head. "Nah, come on, I can do it!" He protested.

Kimberly shrugged. "Okay, but you can try it with Jason," she told him as she leapt off the trampoline in a flawless jump.

Zack crawled onto the mat and grinned at Jason. Jason motioned to Kimberly below. "Kim, hold on the end of the trampoline so it doesn't tip over," he told her.

"Be careful," Trini's voice of reason spoke up them, but Zack just shook his head.

"Just watch how good I do this," he stated as he began to jump at the end of the mat. Jason held his breath as his friend suddenly jumped towards him with no warning. He came barreling into Jason and the two fell on the mat in a tangled heap.

Kimberly laughed and Jason groaned. "You're supposed to wait until I say it's time," he told Zack as they both crawled back to their feet.

Zack immediately began to jump again and Jason watched him closely, this time counting out a loud so that he wouldn't try the move before he was ready. He could see that Zack was getting good height and motioned to him with his hands. Zack leapt forwards, grasping hold of Jason's hands' and flew over his head.

Jason quickly swung around and watched as Zack barreled towards the mat feet first, relieved at least that Zack somehow seemed to pull the move off. His eyes suddenly widened in horror, though as the momentum sent his friend too far, and before Jason could do anything he found himself suddenly on the ground below.

"Guys!" Trini's stricken voice pierced the air, and Jason quickly scrambled onto his knees.

Jason looked around, his jaw dropping as he saw the trampoline on its side. He gazed to his side and scurried over to Zack who was hunched over, clutching his right wrist while his face was twisted in a look of agony.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked him.

Zack blinked and squeezed his eyes together. "I-I think I hurt my wrist bad," he managed to grunt.

"I'll go and get your mom!" Billy quickly stammered as he rushed off and disappeared around the corner.

Jason put a comforting hand on Zack's shoulder, before he heard a strained sob from nearby.

"Kimberly!" He stammered, standing up and rushing over to where his two female friends were huddled on the grass. He dropped down on the ground in front of Kimberly, quickly removing her hair band that was half off her head, and inched his face to hers.

She continued to sob, her bottom lip between her teeth. "Ow, ow, ow," she muttered painfully under her breath.

"Are you hurt?" He asked her, knowing it was probably a stupid question to ask. He knew that Kimberly was overly emotional, but she didn't usually complain if she wasn't in a lot pain.

She gingerly raised her right arm, and then let out a distressing, gasping noise. "I think I hurt my arm," she gasped out.

Jason looked up with dread as his mother and father came barreling around the corner with Billy close behind.

_I can't believe what I did!_ Jason thought with anguish, _I'm in so much trouble…_

* * *

Jason leaned his head against the sterile white wall of the waiting room, and glumly stared at the television. He occasionally peered up to see if he could see Zack or Kimberly, but the room remained fairly quiet during the hour he had sat there, waiting with Trini, Billy and his father. 

The drive over to the hospital had been awful, and had Jason been given the option to dig and bury himself into a hole somewhere, he probably would have taken it. His father spent the entire trip staring at him with contempt via the review mirror. Jason, concerned for his friends, had sat silently with his arms crossed, peering over at Kimberly who was sniffling in the passenger seat.

_I feel so bad_, was all he could think to himself. He couldn't believe he'd done something so stupid, and now his two friends were hurt.

He glanced up as his father stood up, and noticed Zack walking down the nearby corridor beside his mother. His arm was in a sling, but he still managed a goofy grin Jason's way.

Jason walked over to him, unable to look at Mrs. Taylor.

"How are you feeling?" Jason asked him.

Zack nodded and shrugged with his uninjured arm. "I'm okay," he replied, "It wasn't broken, luckily."

Jason nodded relieved, and then looked over Zack's shoulder as he noticed Kimberly walking towards them besides his mother. He probably would have laughed at the sight of his two closest friends both wearing a sling on the same arm, but the look of disappointment he was getting from his mother was enough for him to keep his mouth shut.

"You lot go back and sit down until we are ready to leave," Jason's mother ordered them all, and Jason led his four friends back to the near empty waiting room.

He dropped down in a chair in between Trini and Billy, and Zack and Kimberly sat down opposite them. Kimberly sighed, her lips puckered to the side of her face.

"We are so dead," she muttered, "Your mom is really mad at us."

"My mom wasn't too bad," Zack admitted. Jason wasn't really surprised by his comment, knowing that Mrs. Taylor was generally easy going on her only son.

"I'm really sorry guys," Jason spoke up, his voice low and full of guilt, "I feel really bad."

Kimberly shook her head. "This wasn't your fault Jase," she argued, "I'm the one who suggested we do that move in the first place. If I wouldn't have suggested it, we wouldn't be here-."

"Look, it was my fault," Zack cut in, "I was the one who tried something I shouldn't have. I can tell your parents so, as well-."

"There's no point worrying about it now," Jason gently cut him off, "I suppose at least you guys aren't seriously injured."

Kimberly scoffed and then blinked. "Yeah, six weeks in a cast is going to see me kicked off the school gymnastics team," she informed him dismally.

"What did the doctors say about your injury, Zack?" Trini asked him quietly.

Zack shrugged. "He told my mom no physical activity for a month," he explained and then shook his head, "I just hope I get better enough in time for the sporting trial in November…"

They all quieted down as the three adults approached them.

"Billy, Trini, I'll take you two home," Mrs. Taylor told them, "I just spoke to your parents, so they're aware of what's happening."

Jason blinked, bracing himself for a blow. "Jason, Kimberly, it's time to take you two home…"

He exchanged a quick look with Kimberly and they all stood up and started for the car park. Jason opened the back door for her and climbed in after, both of them staying quiet as his father started the car and headed back home.

"Firstly, I want to tell the both of you that I am very disappointed by what happened today," his mother began on the short drive, "I'm glad that no one was seriously injured, but I am very unhappy that you would both be so irresponsible, especially when you have guests over."

"We're really sorry," Jason offered quickly.

"Yeah, we're really sorry," Kimberly echoed.

"We know that you two are usually very well behaved, and we're not usually in a situation like this, but you need to understand that we will have to punish you in some way for what happened today," His father explained.

Jason slumped his head against the headrest, and stared at Kimberly with impending doom. He'd only been punished a handful of times in his life, and hated to think what would be the penalty for something serious.

"Because you've broken your wrist, Kimberly, you will be unable to participate in your gymnastics class for a month and a half which I feel is punishment enough," His mother announced, "On the other hand Jason, I feel it's only fair since you were equally responsible for getting Kimberly and Zack injured that you will not be allowed to go to karate practice for two weeks-."

Kimberly straightened herself up. "Listen, Kath, Jason wasn't responsible for any of this, Zack and I were the one's goofing around," she tried to reason.

Jason's mother turned to face them and sighed. "Kimberly, I appreciate you trying to protect Jason, but he's old enough now to take responsibility," she explained.

"But Jason tried to stop us," Kimberly blurted out, "He tried to stop Zack and I, but I didn't listen to him," she lied.

His mother stared at her thoughtfully and Jason sat speechless. He knew that Kimberly was trying to cover for him, but at the same time he felt bad about it.

"Is that the truth?" His father asked, as the car turned into their street and pulled into their driveway.

Jason sighed. "No," he cut in before Kimberly answered, "She's just trying to cover for me...it was my fault."

* * *

Kimberly awkwardly tried to dry herself with her towel, and fumbled around with her uninjured hand as she attempted to dress herself in her nightgown. She groaned several times, frustrated with herself, disbelieving that normal tasks could be so difficult when she only had the use of one working hand. 

_At least I get out of doing dishes,_ she thought to herself. Still, despite the minute upsides to having a broken wrist, she was still too upset about the bad things that came along with it.

Kimberly tried to ram her arm through the sleeve, and lost her balance, sending herself crashing against the bathroom basin. She scowled and trudged back up, turning her attention as she heard a knock on the door.

"Kim, are you okay?" Jason's quiet voice spoke from the other end.

Kimberly sighed and unlocked the door, knowing that her dismal expression was being mirrored by Jason's equally miserable look. She nodded bleakly and flicked the light switch, heading for her room.

"Where are you going?" He asked her.

She turned and shrugged. "To bed," she replied, "There's nothing else to do."

"Come watch some telly with me," he asked her, and she nodded, following him into his room.

She slumped down on his bed, wincing slightly as she realized how sore her back was from falling down.

"I spoke to Zack quickly while you were in the shower," Jason explained, "I told him we were grounded and stuff. He didn't even get grounded!"

Kimberly managed a smile despite herself. "He has his mom wrapped around his little finger," she commented.

"You know, I haven't been grounded since I snuck out of home that night to play basketball with Zack," Jason told her, "I hardly ever get in trouble…it was weird seeing my mom so disappointed."

"Yeah, well I suppose we are lucky something worse didn't happen," Kimberly said, "Although right now I feel like my life is just about over…I don't know what I'm going to do for a month and a half! I'll never be able to do gymnastics again," she added dramatically.

Jason eyed her curiously and then shook his head. "You'll be okay, once it heals you'll be able to do gymnastics again," he told her. "I'm really sorry that I got you hurt though, I was pretty stupid getting you to stand there."

"What did your mom say to you while I was in the shower?" Kimberly asked, knowing that the intense discussion they had begun in the car had continued on after they had arrived home.

"Not much, just repeated everything in the car," he admitted, "She said that this week I have to help her with a boy she's looking after in the afternoons. I don't mind doing it, but she made it sound like a punishment…plus, it's not like I'm going to have anything better to do…Oh and by the way, I have to help you with your homework every night until you can write again."

Kimberly smiled and giggled at the thought. She watched as Jason walked over to his desk in the corner and fumbled around, before returning over to her with a pencil case in one hand.

"Can I write something on your cast?" He asked.

She nodded. "But don't do anything stupid, I have to live with it for six weeks, thank you."

He nodded, and removed some colored markers. "Can I draw a picture as well?" He asked.

She eyed him dubiously. "What are you going to draw?" She had images of some mangled, childish drawing covering the plaster and it certainly didn't appeal to her.

"It'll be good, trust me," he reasoned with her.

She sighed and shrugged. "Okay, but if it's bad, I'm gonna have to break your arm back..." She joked.

She rested her head against the wooden bed head and watched a quiz show while Jason performed his work of Picasso on her cast. She was tempted to watch him, but thought she'd leave it as a surprise.

"There you go," he finally said some twenty minutes later, as he leaned back from her.

Kimberly raised her arm and peered at the cast thoughtfully, her lips twitching at their sides as she gazed at his mural. He had written a get-well message at one side and then another message above a small drawing that read:

_Before you stop and ask me how I came to be, please refer to the diagram below:_

"Don't you get it?" He asked unsure.

She giggled. "Yeah, it's cool!" She gushed, "And we look alright for stick figures, although you made my neck look a bit long, I look like an alien!"

"The drawing is supposed to show how you got injured," he explained, "I thought it would be funny."

She smiled. "Thanks Jase, it was a good idea," she agreed. She had to admit that no matter how bad things got in her life, at least she had her friends to make her smile.

* * *

Jason walked through the front door of his house on day one of his week of grounding, and made his way immediately through to the living room. He heard Kimberly follow him through, and the two teenagers came to a stop in front of his mother and a young boy who were sitting quietly at the dining table. 

"Hey mom," Jason greeted.

She smiled politely. "Hello, thank you to both of you for getting home so promptly," she told them, "How was your day?"

"Fine," Kimberly replied and Jason nodded in agreement.

"Good to hear, if you like Kimberly you can go to the office and do some study for the next hour, I want Jason to do some work for me here," she explained.

Jason joined his mother after Kimberly left the room, watching her patiently as she sorted through a pile of papers in front of her. She then looked up, "Jason, this young man here is Dale," she introduced, as she passed Jason a piece of paper with what appeared to be a list of statements, "I want you to get to know Dale a little while I make an important phone call."

Jason frowned, and sighed as she got up and left him alone with the strange boy.

"Can't you talk or something?" The short boy's squeaky voice asked him.

Jason sniggered slightly at his comment, and then cleared his throat. "My name's Jason, I'm turning fifteen next month…how old are you?"

Dale eyed him with apparent disinterest. "I'm nearly ten," he replied, "Your mom told me you're grounded, what did you do?"

Jason cocked his head, once again taken aback by the cheekiness in Dale's tone. "I was being stupid outside with my friends," he explained honestly, "Two of my friends were injured and so I got into trouble."

"Was that your sister?" Dale asked, a small smirk on his face, "How old is she? Does she have a boyfriend?"

"What?" Jason chuckled in disbelief, "You like girls at your age?"

He nodded. "I've already had three girlfriends," he explained, "But none of them are as pretty as your sister…"

Jason sighed. "I think she has a boyfriend," he lied, trying to change the subject, "She doesn't turn fifteen until early next year and she's not my sister, she's my friend…she lives here with my parents."

"Why doesn't she live with her own parents?"

"Because they passed away," Jason explained gently, "There was a fire at their house, and Kimberly was lucky to survive."

The boy looked down and Jason was relieved that he'd stopped shooting the endless round of prying questions. Jason took the opportunity to finally look down at the paper his mother had passed him, his eyes stopping as he skimmed over the top sentence that took him by surprise:

_Dale's parents and two younger siblings were killed when a fire destroyed their three bedroom, weatherboard home. On investigation, police concluded that Dale had started the fire when playing with a box of matches in his bedroom…_

"Did she start the fire in her house, too?" Dale's voice crept through, forcing Jason to raise his gaze from the document in his hands.

Jason felt speechless. "No," he began, his voice husky. He tried to clear the croakiness, "They're not sure what happened exactly, but they think it started from a heater," he explained honestly.

"I started the fire in my house," Dale stated, "That's why I'm with your mom, because they think I need help…Kids like me are bad."

Jason shook his head. "No, what happened to your family Dale was an accident," Jason spoke up, "It was terrible, and very sad. I know a bit about what you're going through because my friend Kimberly went through a similar situation."

"Yeah, but at least she found somewhere to live, nobody wants me," Dale explained bitterly, "Nobody wants to waste their time with kids that have problems…everyone I meet treats me like something's wrong with me. I'm sick of it."

Jason was about to speak up when his mother suddenly appeared in the archway nearby.

_Why did she make me do this?_ He wondered to himself, lost for words as he stared back at the boy who was mature beyond his years because of an unspeakable trauma so close to Jason's own heart.

* * *

"Why did you make me talk to that kid?" Jason asked his mother, as they drove back home after dropping Dale off at his temporary foster home. 

His mother kept her eyes on the road ahead. "I thought that maybe you could talk to him, make him feel comfortable," she replied, "After all, a young man your age is more likely to connect with someone like him as opposed to a strange adult."

"His family was killed in a house fire," Jason mentioned, "Is that just a coincidence?"

She nodded. "Yes and no." Jason frowned confused. "The department knows that I'm taking care of a child in a similar situation, and felt that I might be better equipped to deal with a child like Dale."

"Yeah, but Kim didn't start the fire in her house," Jason spoke up, "I don't see how you can say they're the same thing."

"I'm not," she said, "But out of everyone that has connected with Kimberly after her tragedy, you're the one who has had the most contact with her, you're the one that she trusts. That's a valuable thing, Jason. People look to you for support, honey. Did you see the way Dale responded to you after I dropped him off? He already has installed trust in you."

Jason turned his eyes to stare out his window. His mother was right about that, but Jason didn't know how he felt having to spend time with the boy for the next four afternoons after school. His heart went out to him, but Jason just didn't feel equipped to help him. It just made Jason wonder how his mother managed to work with so many sad and desperate children and not get attached.

As they arrived home, Jason gladly got out and hurried inside the house. _I never thought I'd be so glad to do homework,_ he thought to himself.

He walked through to the home office without knocking, coming to a stop as he seemed to startle Kimberly who was sitting at the desk. He could see her body hunched over the large desk, manila folders and documents sprawled across the wooden surface. She eyed him with watery eyes, the usual twinkle in their dark centers dulled by seeming sorrow.

"What's wrong?" He asked her, standing his ground. He quickly glanced at the table again, his heart falling as he realized what had upset her. He quickly dropped down in the empty chair beside her, bracing himself for whatever she would say.

"I found these," she stated quietly, motioning to the newspaper clippings, "I haven't…I mean, it's the first time I've seen any of these…"

He gulped, _what do I say?_ He thought nervously to himself.

"I haven't seen them before either," he admitted truthfully, "My mom must have kept them."

She pointed to a colored newspaper clipping, the photo in the corner showing the image of the destroyed Hart residence. "I never imagined my house looking like this." She was nearly whispering now, and Jason leaned slightly closer to her so he could hear her. "All of these articles talk about me, about how I was miraculously saved from the fire…a miracle…"

"That's what happened," he said, "My mom always says it was a blessing that you didn't get hurt."

She nodded and then looked at him "You know, I still don't remember what happened," she told him, "I mean, I can't remember what happened before the fire…"

"Why is that so important to you?" He asked her gently. It had been a question he'd asked her a few times over the passing years, but she'd never really been able to answer him.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess because I wanted to remember how something that terrible could have happened," she admitted, "And I wanted to remember my parents as they were that day…" She paused and shrugged again, "I know it seems stupid…I am thankful that I was saved, but sometimes I still think about it and I feel confused about how it could have happened."

"Well, I think it's okay for you to still be confused and sad," he told her, "I don't think that makes you a bad person…I mean, I think you've been a happier person this year."

She nodded. "Yeah, I am. I'm much happier…You know it as much as I do, I've barely had a single nightmare this year and I know at least I feel like I'm living a normal life now. Do you wanna know what made me so upset when I found these?"

He looked into her eyes, but he wasn't sure beside the obvious.

"I've been so happy…that's what made me upset. I've been living my life like normal, even with breaking my wrist and getting in trouble, I've still been happy. Then, when I found these while you were out, it brought it all back to me…and I felt guilty. Guilty that I'm happy without my mom and dad."

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Kim, your parents would want you to be happy," he told her, "You deserve to be happy."

She shrugged bleakly and then leaned in towards him, dropping her head on his shoulder. He placed his arm around her shoulder and he felt his forehead crease as he heard her quietly laugh.

"What?"

She sighed. "Don't you get tired of saying the same stuff to me all the time?"

He shook his head. "You know I don't mind," he told her honestly, "It will get easier- it is getting easier..."

She lifted her head and stared at him.

"How about you talk to the folks about all of these clippings, I'm sure my mom will tell you anything you want to know about them," He suggested.

Kimberly nodded. "Yeah, I think I might..." she smiled slightly, "Thanks Jason."

---

**Next in Episode 4 "Reinventing the Inventor":**_ Zack falls in love with a new girl at school, and does what he can to impress her. Kimberly and Billy connect at a new level over something they share in common. Billy struggles with his self-esteem and Kimberly offers to help him in the only way she knows how._


	5. Ep4: Reinventing the Inventor

**R&R: Rebirth of the Legacy**

**Reinventing the Inventor - Episode 4**

By Chanelle Summer

_A/N – Thanks as always for the reviews! **Jade**- thank you, as always for the grammar corrections. You know I find good grammar important, and you're always teaching me new things. I'm finding the longer chapters more difficult to proof read, but it is a really good experience for me and I'm learning a lot. I agree that I am probably writing young people a little too mature, however, I guess in retrospect, I found the teens on the actual show to be mature, and so I tried to keep everything in ratio. I didn't want them acting like a group of misfits, and then to suddenly grow up when they turned 16. As always, your reflections on the various scenes are an immense aid to me. **C2**- lol, I remember you mentioning that you taught math's, and I found your review very funny. I was a very good student at school, and despite being a top English graduate, I was awful at math's. Maybe that has an effect on my perception on the subject…? But, I'm glad the chapter put a spring in your step! **Felicity P**- Your thoughts on Kimberly and Jason were very deep and very true to my line of thinking…anyone who has questions on their relationship in my story, refer to Felicity's review. To everyone else, thanks for your comments, I loved reading them all, and I appreciate them all so much!_

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* * *

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_Zack falls in love with a new girl at school, while Kimberly and Billy connect on a new level, and spend time together in an unexpected way. Can Kimberly, Trini, Zack and Jason make Billy see that he's more than just the school nerd?_

**_Angel Grove High School _**

**_Friday October 30th 1993_**

Zack danced about, his feet moving swiftly below him as he made his way towards the locker hall. It was usual for him to walk permanently with a bounce in his step, but today he was particularly happy because it was Friday, and he was looking forward to chilling out after school and getting ready for the All-Star try outs on Monday.

Despite being out of action for quite a few weeks after his clumsy outdoor accident back at Jason's almost two months earlier, he was pumped and knew he was more than keen to prove his athletic ability against his fellow students. He knew he had what it took; he just hoped that every other guy in the ninth grade didn't have any more than him to offer.

He gave a few greetings to three of his old footy teammates, before heading directly for his locker that was at the end of the west side of the wide corridor. He opened the locker up, and then stood staring at its contents absentmindedly, trying to work out what books he needed to take with him to his English class.

He grabbed his ratty copy of 'Hamlet' from the top shelf and was about to close the door, when he noticed a pair of long, slender legs poking out from under the door of his locker.

_This day just keeps getting better_, he thought pleased to himself, slowly closing the locker door so he could casually see what good-looking lady was using the locker beside his.

He felt his lips form into an 'o' shape as he stared at the attractive African American girl beside him, her face buried into a folder of papers so much so, that she didn't seem to notice Zack's ogling.

She suddenly looked up and his first reaction was to look away, but he felt powerless, drawn to the perfect features of her slender face. Dark, smooth locks sat pertly on her shoulders, her attire far more classy than most of the girls at his school. Her brown eyes stared back at him curiously, before she slowly pursed her lips.

"Can I help you?" She asked him, sounding slightly irritated.

Zack broke into a toothy grin, feeling a clear blush explode in his cheeks. He simply nodded his head, and her raised eyebrows turned into a look of disgust as he remained speechless, the goofy smile still plastered on his face.

"Um, I'm ah," he suddenly stammered, quickly throwing his books into the one arm so he could extend a hand. "My name's Zack Taylor," he managed to get out. Surely, she would be impressed that he offered to shake her hand.

She only stared at his hand dubiously, however, and he quickly shoveled it back into his pocket.

"You new here, I ah, I've never seen you before," he commented, trying his best to form some kind of conversation with the mystery girl.

She relaxed her shoulders and nodded her head. "I've been here for a few weeks, but I just received a new locker. My name is Angela Whitman, I've moved here from San Francisco," she explained.

"Oh," he nodded his head, "That's cool," he added.

_Think of something, Zack, think of something to say to her!_ He mentally scowled at himself.

"So, do you need any help with anything, finding your classrooms or something?" He offered, biting his lip while he silently prayed that she would say yes.

She shook her head, obviously trying to be polite. "No, I'm okay," she brushed him off evenly, "I'm already settled in here just fine," she finished, before she closed her locker and walked off through the crowded hall.

He banged the back of his head against the lockers as he watched her go, his eyes falling on Jason and Billy as his two friends walked towards him.

"Hey Zack, what's up?" Jason asked, as they stopped in front of him.

"That's what's up," Zack replied, motioning with his hand down the corridor to where Angela was walking away up the distance.

Jason shook his head in confusion. "What?" He asked.

Zack sighed. "That girl, Angela. She's new here," he explained. He shook his head, "I've just fallen in love, fellas," he added.

"If that is the case, then what is the basis for your external look of anguish?" Billy asked him.

Jason tried unsuccessfully to stifle a laugh. "Let me guess, this girl of your dreams doesn't think the Zack-man is all that?" He guessed lightheartedly.

Zack puckered his lips to the side of his face, "It was only the first meeting, I'm sure she was just as nervous about our instant attraction as I was," he explained, "I'm sure the next time we meet, things won't be so strange."

Jason raised his eyebrows. "I'm sure you're right," he replied to his friend with a sarcastic tone.

They stopped as Kimberly and Trini suddenly walked towards them, a curious grin creeping across Kimberly's face as she saw the three boys in deep discussion.

"Hey guys, what's the goss?" She asked, as she casually leaned an arm on Billy's shoulder.

Zack shook his head. "Private men's business, I'm afraid," he told them, his comment making Kimberly pout.

"Hey dweebs, move out of the way," a familiar voice broke through their huddle.

Zack rolled his eyes as Bulk shoveled his arm between Kimberly and Billy, forcing his way to his locker that was unfortunately only two doors up from Zack's. The overweight troublemaker seemingly struggled to open the metal door, before turning around and scowling at them all.

"Do you geeks mind?" He sneered at them, "Take a picture, it lasts longer, eh?"

"Yeah, take a picture, it lasts longer," Skull echoed, before breaking into a cackle as if he had said something hilarious.

Billy cleared his throat, "Actually, we have witnessed you access your locker on many occasions. It's a proven fact that the brain is able to hold familiar activities in the memory and store them for-."

"Listen four eyes," Bulk snapped at him, inching towards him, "Quit with the stupid way you talk, you're really starting to get on my nerves!"

"Yeah, nobody even understands you, four eyes!" Skull added.

"Don't you guys have anything better to do then spread your stupidity around the school?" Kimberly retorted dryly, a sour look on her face.

Bulk mocked her scowl and then glared back at Billy. "It's a shame you need a girl to stick up for you, nerd," he commented, "I guess that's what makes you the most unpopular kid at school."

"Just move along," Zack told Bulk, annoyed at the way he was talking to his friend.

"Oh, and whatcha gonna do about it, hero?" Billy jibbed at Zack.

"Just move along, Bulk," Jason repeated calmly, his deep voice stern and uncompromising.

Bulk's mouth remained half open, as if desiring to talk back, however Jason's firm expression seemed to quickly dissipate his intentions.

He scoffed instead, "Whatever, dweebs," he muttered, retreating backwards, "Geek boy can't hide behind little miss know it all and the pathetic kung fu master for the rest of his life."

Zack shook his head as the two punks disappeared out of sight. "Can you believe those guys?" He commented in disbelief.

"Yeah, those two never seem to change," Trini added, "They only embarrass themselves."

Kimberly's face fell, and Zack followed her chestnut eyes that were fixed on Billy's downcast gaze.

"Hey Billy-man, why ya looking so down?" Zack asked casually.

Billy sighed, hugging his books to his chest. "Despite the nonsense ridden talk from Bulk, there may be an element of truth in his misguided rantings," Billy explained.

"Billy," Kimberly cut in slightly exasperated, "Nothing those two could ever say would make any sense! Especially to someone like you-."

"Someone like me," Billy repeated, "Because I'm a nerd, and my brain is designed to be able to comprehend speech of a much superior intellect then what those two display."

Kimberly blinked at his response and Zack decided to jump in. "Billy, you're my main brain, you know that, but if you think you're a nerd, then you're wrong," he told him.

"Yeah, Billy, you're not a nerd, you're someone with incredible intelligence," Trini added gently, "It's a gift."

Billy shrugged, and then Jason reluctantly spoke up. "Look Billy, I wouldn't listen to anything Bulk says, you know you're better than that," he told him gently, before motioning to his watch, "But for now, we better get going to class guys."

Zack watched his genius friend closely as they made their way for their various classes, trying to replace his concern with thoughts of the beautiful, sophisticated and mysterious Angela Whitman.

* * *

Billy wondered towards his regular bevy on the plush, green grass out the back of Angel Grove High, for once grateful that it was time for lunch, as opposed to another class. He ignored the usual, snide comments from Bulk and his small group of misfits, and quickly made his way to the spot where he and his friends sat during most lunch breaks. 

"Hey Billy!" Trini offered him a little wave and he nodded politely, before sitting in his ordinary spot between Kimberly and Zack.

He unwrapped his salad sandwich and eyed Kimberly and Jason curiously. His two friends were huddled close together over a large book, which was bound together with several metal rings. Billy watched as a grin flashed across Kimberly's face as Jason appeared to whisper something in her ear that made her break into a fit of laughter.

"They're looking at the photos from my birthday party," Zack explained to Billy, "My mom finally got them developed all these months later!"

"By your reactions, it appears that Zack's parents captured some heavily comical shots of us," Billy spoke up towards Jason.

Jason nodded, and closed the book, passing it over to his friend. "Here, have a look," he offered, as the martial artist returned to downing his fruit juice.

Billy reluctantly opened the large, bounded photo album. He knew he would never find any photographs of himself that were not the least embarrassing, and so tried to prepare himself for the numerous shots of him looking like the nerdish outcast he always felt like.

He skimmed his blue-green eyes over depictions of Zack blowing out the candles on his cake and dancing with friends, and then went on to numerous shots from some of the earlier games they had all played, including that appalling game of spin-the-bottle.

Billy frowned as he noticed two blank spots on the forth page and looked beside him. "Uh, Zack, it appears that there are two photographs missing from this page," he informed his friend.

Zack frowned and then they both looked at Kimberly whose dark eyes were sparkling with humor, her lips twitching at the corners.

"Aw, come on Kim, what did you do with that photo of you and Jason and the one of you and I?" Zack asked the young gymnast.

She quickly pulled the photographs that had been hidden in the middle of her crossed over legs and brought them close to her chest. "You are not getting them back!" She quickly told Zack dramatically, "They are totally way too embarrassing!"

"Wait a minute!" Jason piped up, reaching for her hands as he tried to pry her fingers open so he could remove the images from her.

Billy watched his two friends as they continued their seemingly immature display. He exchanged a quick look with Trini and Zack before his African American friend finally spoke up.

"Uh, guys?" Zack tried to get through to Jason and Kimberly. They looked up and Jason reluctantly gave up when it appeared Kimberly had propped the photos down the front of her top. Kimberly flashed him a winner's grin, and Jason just shook his head.

"I have like two more copies of those photos," Zack told Kimberly, whose brown eyes widened in horror at her friends revelation. Jason groaned and Zack laughed, "So, you two don't have to worry, I'll make sure everyone gets to see them!"

Billy looked back down and he flipped each page over with a faster speed, grateful when he reached the end of the album. He passed it to Zack, before returning to his salad sandwich.

"Whoa, what's with the rush?" Zack asked him curiously.

"My intentions weren't directed towards you guys, it is just I prefer to not view photographs of myself," Billy explained.

"But why, Billy?" Trini asked him softly.

Billy sighed. He had known his friends for many years now, and he knew he could trust them with sharing his insecurities, but he was beginning to feel tired of being the odd one out.

"I guess it is because unlike you all, I am unable to emerge in a photograph, without appearing physically unattractive," he replied.

Kimberly scoffed out loud. "Billy, you are not ugly!" She exclaimed at him, "I didn't see any bad photos of you!"

Billy shrugged bleakly. The simple fact was, his closest friends were all attractive people. Both Jason and Zack had always been tall and athletic, while Trini was one of the most beautiful girls Billy had ever known. So, how was Billy supposed to explain to Kimberly, a cheerleader who had half of the male population at school chasing after her, that he didn't like the way he looked?

He looked at her and she offered him a gentle smile. "Is my friend having a bad hair day?" She asked him playfully, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

Billy looked at her dubiously, as always amused by her use of vernacular. "I'm not aware that I have had what you frequently refer to as a 'bad hair day'," Billy told her.

Jason smiled. "Yeah, Billy always looks sharp," he commented.

Billy shook his head. "I believe I always dress identical every day," he stated.

"Yeah, but that's your style," Kimberly explained to him, "Everyone has their own way of dressing."

"And unfortunately, my individual style projects an impression I don't always feel confident about," Billy spoke up quietly. "On Sunday afternoon, my father and I are booked in to get a photographic portrait taken and like every annual photo taken, I am certain to look the same."

His friends all looked at him, clearly surprised by the words from the young scientist's mouth. He knew they were use to his scientific lingo and formal speech patterns, but even he knew it was unusual for him to speak about appearances and personal insecurities. That was something he was more likely to hear from Kimberly, or maybe even Zack.

"Billy, if you don't like the way you dress, then you can always do something about it so that you look the way you'd like to for your portrait," Kimberly offered.

Billy shrugged, "I'm afraid that I would be unaware on how to perform such a transformation..."

"Well then, how about we go over to your place after school?" Kimberly suggested, "I could take a look at your wardrobe for you, and then you could maybe help me with my algebra questions that I was stuck on today?"

Billy put in a valiant effort to conceal the apprehensive way he felt about his female friend's offer. Her certainly did not feel comfortable with his friend's rummaging through his wardrobe, but at the same time he knew he would be unable to say no to Kimberly once she got an idea into her mind.

"Great! That's settled!" Kimberly chirped at him, before he could give her an answer.

* * *

"Could you believe their excuses?" Kimberly chattered away, as she and Billy made their way to the Cranston home after school that afternoon. He had been unsurprised when both Jason and Zack had turned down an invitation by Kimberly to spend the afternoon looking through his wardrobe, however Kimberly seemed to be irritated by their lack of enthusiasm to partake in the visit. 

Billy nodded his head at her, but allowed his friend to continue on with her rambling thoughts.

"I mean, I already knew that Trini was visiting her grandmother, but Jason and Zack's excuse was lame! They have karate practice practically every afternoon," she continued on, "And if Zack thinks he's going to get that new girl Angela to like him, he has a lot of work to do. I tried to tell him, but he was like so far gone already."

Billy smiled slightly at her words, and she eyed him suspiciously. "What's so funny?" she asked him.

"It's nothing important," he began, his fingers fidgeting in his pockets. "I guess sometimes I find the things you say difficult to understand," he admitted.

She widened her eyes, "Really?" She'd never thought of things in that way, knowing that it was usually she who never really understood Billy's complicated speech.

Kimberly could tell he was going to explain, when they reached the front of his house, and he instead opened the door for them to go inside. Kimberly followed him through the living room and up towards his bedroom, noting that the house always looked the same, the photographs never unchanged; the knickknacks always in the same places. She saw photo after photo of Billy and his older brother Jeremy, as well as quite a few older family portraits.

_I guess Billy and his dad still really miss his mom,_ Kimberly thought to herself.

The group rarely discussed Mrs. Cranston, but because the subject was so painfully close to Kimberly's own heart, she often wondered how Billy had coped without his mom over the past years. After her parents were killed in the house fire, she had briefly shared some of her feelings with Billy, but had never discussed anything in detail with him. They were feelings she'd kept locked away, with the only person she'd truly opened up to being Jason. She supposed it was because it was too hard to talk about, and she sensed the same feeling from Billy.

Kimberly followed him into his room, which was, as always, neatly arranged, the only items out of place being several contractions scattered over his oversized desk.

"Can I offer you anything to eat?" Billy asked her politely, as she dropped down on the end of his bed.

Kimberly shook her head. "No, I'm okay for now, thanks," she replied. "Let's not forget the main reason I'm here," she reminded him, motioning for him to open his wardrobe.

He blinked at her reluctantly and she motioned once again to the doors of his wooden closet. He turned around and slowly opened the two doors, as if he was afraid that something horrible would jump out of them.

Kimberly stood up and walked over, her dark eyes carefully skimming over to rack full of almost identical pieces of neatly sorted clothing. She reached forward, trying to sort through hanger after hanger in search for something that wasn't a duplicate to the garment beside it.

To her shock, however, she found nothing.

Kimberly bit her lip. "Uh, Billy, you have a lot of overalls," she commented, "And a lot of blue polo shirts." She turned her head, and Billy nervously fidgeted beside her. She shrugged, "I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that," she tried to reassure him.

"To be honest, I've always worn overalls," Billy admitted, "My mom always brought them for me-."

Kimberly watched as he quickly stopped mid sentence, and dropped his face. The silence awkwardly hung between them, and Kimberly tried desperately to think of something to say. She watched as he turned and slumped down on the chair to his desk, and she quietly made her way to sit back on his bed, carefully contemplating how to talk to her reserved friend.

"You really miss your mom, don't you?" She asked him quietly, knowing that the answer was plainly obvious.

Billy nodded and Kimberly squirmed. While she had known Billy for many years, out of everyone in the group, it was unusual for her to be sitting around and sharing her inner most thoughts with him, and visa versa.

_But still, we have something in common that none of the other's share_, Kimberly reminded herself and she looked back at Billy who seemed to be lost in thought.

"You know, I sometimes feel the same way," she spoke up quietly, "Actually, I often feel that way..."

He looked at her and then shook his head. "Kimberly, my loss is far outweighed by anything I can only imagine that you experienced," he told her.

She shook her head dismissively. "No, Billy, that's not true," she told him, "We both lost our moms, and that's something that we both have in common…I miss my mom all the time, every day-." She paused and blinked, feeling her emotions creep into her voice. "You know that I love being with my friends, and I love doing fun things, but I still wish I had my mom around…If it wasn't for you guys, I think I'd probably be crazy by now. It's taken me years to get use to living life normal again."

"You have coped very well," Billy stated.

She offered him a small smile of thanks. "After the fire I was a different person. I didn't want to do the things I use to enjoy and I was always sad. I didn't want to do gymnastics; I didn't care about shopping or having fun. I felt so alone. Then, after I had a chance to talk about my feelings with Kath, I started to deal with how sad I was. I knew that my parents would want me to be happy…I knew they'd be so sad if I stayed that way forever."

Billy offered her a small nod, but she knew she wasn't making much sense. She hoped that the large clumps of information she'd learnt from Jason's mother on dealing with trauma would somehow be able to help her friend, too.

"What I guess I mean is that I think you're scared like I was. You don't want things to change. You want to keep things the way they were before your mom died, because that's when you were happy," she finally got out.

He stared at her thoughtfully. "I-I guess what you just said is very true," he admitted.

Kimberly smiled softly, and she watched as he stared down at his lap.

"How did you deal with the immense changes in your life?" He asked her quietly.

Kimberly listened to his words carefully, and thought about them for a moment before responding. "I guess because I didn't really have a choice, I was able to deal with it," she paused, "I think that it would be harder for you because you are still in the same house where your mom was, and you have so many memories here-."

Billy looked down again, and Kimberly quickly stopped talking, feeling her chin begin to slightly tremble. It was a relief to be able to say those thing to Billy, but as she continued to speak, she started to feel guilty that she was making the usually calm boy slowly collapse before her.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered.

He shrugged, and lifted his hand to his glasses. "It is okay, Kim," he tried to reassure her calmly, "No one's ever said any of those things to me before," he admitted.

She nodded, and took his comment as her cue to speak again. "I guess all I wanted to say was that I can see that you have trouble letting go of your mom at times, you want to keep everything like it was because you're afraid of losing her altogether...but you don't have to be scared. Think of it like this: do you think your mom would want to see every portrait of you where you look exactly the same?"

Billy quickly shook his head. "No," he replied, "There would be little sense in doing that."

"Exactly," she said, "That's why you shouldn't be afraid of changing that way you dress."

Billy sighed concededly. "I suppose that is an advantageous suggestion," he agreed.

She studied him closely. "Why were you so down at school today?" she asked him, meaning to ask that question much sooner.

He smiled tightly. "Today is the fifth year anniversary of my mom's death," he revealed simply.

Kimberly stared at him with wide eyes, her lips slightly parted. "Oh my gosh, Billy, I didn't know," she apologized, "I'm so sorry…why didn't you remind us?"

He shrugged. "It's okay, Kimberly," he told her, "I didn't want to make a big deal about it…"

"But you should have," she told him, "We would have been there for you! God, it would have stopped me from talking to you about fashion, and instead we could have talked about things that really mattered."

"I suppose I still find it difficult to talk about," he conceded, "But I appreciate your care, Kimberly. I know it mustn't be easy for you to talk about these things, but out of everyone I suppose I feel most comfortable talking to you about my mom."

She smiled through the fresh tears that had slowly formed in her eyes, unable to respond to her intelligent friend. They blinked at each other, their personal sorrow drifting between them when suddenly the door swung open, and Zack and Jason sauntered through.

Their goofy smiles disappeared as they noticed the solemn looks in both Billy and Kimberlys' eyes, and Jason ducked his head slightly. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt," he apologized, "Your dad told us you were in here."

"Yeah, gees, was Billy-mans wardrobe that shabby?" Zack commented light heartedly.

Kimberly shook her head, and instantly forced a smile in an attempt to cover up the moment of weakness she and Billy had just shared with each other.

* * *

**_Saturday 31st October 1993_**

Zack bowed quickly as his instructor announced it was time for a break. The karate class of twenty flocked to the sidelines in search for their drink bottles and gym towels and Zack gladly took a seat beside Jason.

Saturday karate class was a real workout.

He patted his forehead with the towel in his hands, enjoying the moment of darkness as the fluffy cotton material draped over his weary eyes. He sighed and lowered his hand, his eyes gazing nowhere in particular, until they were drawn like a magnet to a slender figure in the opposite corner.

Angela Whitman was stretching tall in a floral leotard and matching tights, her arms high above her torso. Her eyes were focused on the blue mat below her, as she leaned over to touch each of her ankles, repeating the stretching movements slowly and effortlessly.

"Zack?"

Zack slightly scowled as Jason waved his hand in front of his face, and he reluctantly moved his gaze to his best friend.

"What?" Zack asked him, as he took a sip from his water bottle.

Jason smirked and then motioned with his eyes towards where Angela was working out. "Now I know why you kept on mucking your movements up today," he commented light-heartedly.

Zack shook his head. "I only just saw her," he informed him, "I actually had my mind on these try-outs Monday. Now I gotta get through the second part of this class without acting stuffing everything up."

Jason shrugged. "I don't understand what the big deal's about. Just tell her you like her, I mean you're kinda being a bit obvious-."

"Jase, you've never had a girlfriend, so don't go giving me advice…Trust me. I don't think telling her I like her after a day is going to get her to go out with me."

"Yeah, but neither is acting like stalker," Jason pointed out. "Besides, I have something that'll get your mind off Angela…picture this: Billy and Kimberly – together – shopping."

Zack stared at his friend with wide eyes, and both of the boys sniggered in unison. "I thought Billy said he had an assignment to do?" Zack questioned as he regained his composure.

Jason shook his head. "Nah, Kim must have convinced him somehow…I wouldn't have known anything, but mom told me when she dropped me off this morning that she was dropping Billy and Kim at the mall today…"

Zack shook his head in disbelief, and they both slowly moved back into their positions as their instructor called them back to class. He couldn't work out what was more bizarre…the fact that he'd fallen in love with some girl after one day or the thought of Billy and Kimberly going shopping for clothes together.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kimberly and Billy wondered through the Angel Grove City Walk Mall, strolling past several food outlets before Kimberly pointed up ahead. Billy blinked and peered in the direction of her outstretched hand, dreading what fashion boutique his friend had selected next as part of her plan to 'reinvent' him for his photo portrait appointment the next day. 

After their rather awkward get together the afternoon before hand, Kimberly had asked Billy if he wanted to hang out with her the following day, telling him she had plans to go to the mall. Both Zack and Jason had instantaneously burst into their typical jibes regarding the gymnast's obsession with shopping, warning Billy that such an outing would strip the reserved genius to the bone. Not wanting to appear strange, he turned down her offer, telling her he had an English assignment to complete.

But after Jason and Zack had both made their way through to the front door ahead of Kimberly, his female friend had turned around and invited him out again, stressing to him that she honestly wanted to help to accompany her, and that she would refrain from shopping for her own benefit. She told him that he could trust her, and as he looked into her deep eyes, he knew that she was right.

_After the conversation we just had, I owe it to Kimberly. Maybe she's right; maybe she can help me find an outfit?_ He thought to himself.

So, his agreement, which was motivated by good will towards his younger friend led him to an encounter he had never yet experienced before in his life. He had a first hand insight into the life a fourteen year old girl; a life full of obsession over color matching, selecting the perfect accessories and buying as many items as possible, regardless of their necessity.

"See, this shop is really cool," Kimberly pointed out as they strolled into a unisex fashion outlet.

They headed directly for the men's section and Billy skimmed over the racks of fashion jeans, belts and shirts in a larger variety of styles then he had ever seen before hand. He knew that if it wasn't for Kimberly's keen eye, that he'd have no idea on where to even start.

"I like these type of shirts," she stated, motioning to a rack full of collared, buttoned up shirts.

Billy contemplated the selection, and pointed to a blue one at the end, "That one appears to be one I would prefer," he told her.

She frowned and then shook her head quickly, "No, Billy, you've already bought three blue shirts today," she reminded him, pulling out a black shirt, with a blue and green striped design, "This one would suit you," she said.

He took the shirt from her and looked at it closely, before heading towards the change room to try the item on. He didn't know how he felt about the garment, but based on all of Kimberly's selections throughout the day, he knew he could trust her opinion. After all, he admired the way she dressed for a girl, and he was actually pleased with the clothes she thought looked good on him.

He neatly pulled the shirt on and carefully pulled back the curtain to reveal himself to Kimberly.

He blushed as she broke into a big grin and offered him a small, excited clap. "That looks so good!" She gushed, her animated pitch drifting through the store so much, that the sales assistant turned around to stare.

Billy looked away, embarrassed by all the attention, and quickly pulled the curtain closed so he could return to his polo shirt and denim overalls. He returned out to Kimberly, and they both headed to the counter, Billy agreeing with Kimberly that the shirt was an excellent choice to buy for his photo session. They made the purchase, before heading out, and Kimberly shared her desire to have a frozen yogurt.

"I believe I have used up all of my allowance," Billy admitted shyly.

Kimberly just smiled. "That's okay, I'll buy you one," she reassured him, taking his hand and leading him towards the ice-cream parlor. They stopped as they came face to face with three of Kimberly's cheerleading teammates, and Billy awkwardly tried to let go of her hand, but she only tightened her grip.

"Hi Kimberly," Megan Phillips purred, eyeing Billy with slight contempt. The other two girls completely ignored him, and Billy tried to make it look like he was casually checking out the menu board.

"Hi girls," Kimberly replied carefully.

"So, I didn't know you dated boys that were so..."

Kimberly sighed. "I'm sorry, but we really need to be going, we have to meet my mother is five minutes," she quickly lied, Billy sensing a slight nervous edge to her tone.

The other two girls turned and whispered to each other, before giggling. "So, you two _are_ dating!" Megan teased.

Kimberly shook her head. "No," she stated abruptly, "We are _not_ dating!"

Megan rocked back on her heels, clearly surprised by Kimberly's sharp tongue, and the three girls took it as their cue to walk on by.

Billy sighed and released his hand from her limp grip, watching as she quickly leaned over the counter and ordered two strawberry frozen yogurts. She then motioned to a nearby table, and they sat across from each other, waiting for their orders to come out.

She fiddled with her hair for a moment, and then quickly sighed, raising her regretful eyes his way. "Billy, I'm really sorry about that," she offered quietly, "I'm sorry they were so mean to you."

Billy shrugged. "It's okay," he replied.

Kimberly shook her head. "No, it's not okay," she told him, "They always act like a bunch of stuck up cows...they think they're better then everyone else. Most of the other girl's are really nice, trust me, it's just those few that are really mean...they're like that to everyone."

Billy tried to conceal his skepticism. "I'm use to girls acting like that to me," he admitted, "However, I do appreciate you standing up for me."

She ducked her head as a look of guilt drifting into her eyes. "Yeah, but I'm sorry I sounded like I would never want to...you know, date you," she scrunched her mouth, "I mean, I don't mean to say that I want to date you, like we're just friends, you know that, but like I didn't mean to make it sound like I-."

"It's all right, Kimberly," Billy cut in, stopping Kimberly from continuing on a subject she obviously found awkward.

She smiled gratefully. "Anyway, forget about that, just look at all the cool stuff you got today!" She chirped up, motioning to the numerous boutique and outlet bags they had sitting at their feet.

Billy nodded. "Yes, I did manage to make quite a number of purchases, which will hopefully go towards developing a more updated wardrobe for myself," he agreed.

They looked up as their frozen yogurts came out and Kimberly quickly looked at her watch. "Whoa, we better eat these on the run! Kath is meeting us in like ten minutes!" She exclaimed.

They grabbed all their bags and juggled them whilst they downed their frozen snack and walked towards the north entrance of the shopping mall.

"You have to show me your portrait when it's done, I totally love photos! And, make sure you wear some of your clothes to school on Monday," she told him as they continued along, "I wanna see you looking all cute in that last shirt you brought today! "

Once again, Billy raised his eyebrow at her bizarre comment, but nodded his head. "I shall try my best," he promised her, "What are your plans for this evening?" he asked her casually, as they came to a stop near the pick up area.

Kimberly exhaled a large breath between her pursed lips. "I'm going trick-or-treating before dinner and then I have that English assignment I'm doing," she explained, "My partner is coming over to stay the night so we can get it finished."

"Oh," Billy nodded, "Who is your partner?"

"Angela," she revealed with a small smile, "Zack's dream girl."

* * *

"So, what do you want to do after we finish these?" Trini asked, briefly glancing over to Billy as she finished drying the last plate on the drying rack. 

Billy removed the plug from the sink and quickly and effortlessly wiped over the sink before turning to answer her. "Um, I believe we both have an English assignment to complete for Monday," he told her, "Perhaps it would be advantageous if we both worked towards finishing our individual pieces?" He suggested.

Trini smile and nodded. Billy's suggestion wasn't a surprise, but that's why she enjoyed spending time with him. He was always so responsible, and she couldn't think of another person who she would prefer to be doing her schoolwork with. A quiet night sounded good. After all, they'd both gone trick-or-treating before dinner with Billy's aunt and uncle, and her feet were sore from walking around in the tight shoes from her costume.

The Asian girl followed Billy through the living room and into his bedroom. "You'll have to forgive me, as my father is completing some papers for work, we'll have to study in here tonight," he explained.

"That's okay," she assured him, dropping down on his neatly made bed in the center of the room. She reached out to grab a pen from his hand, when she suddenly noticed the mass collection of shopping bags piled up beside the side of his wardrobe.

"Did you do some shopping?" Trini asked him, motioning to the bags on the ground.

Billy adjusted his glasses, before nodded. "Affirmative," he replied, "Kimberly and I spent several hours at the mall today partaking in the unusual activity of shopping for new garments for myself."

Trini couldn't help but giggle, and shook her head in amazement. "You went shopping?" she asked him in disbelief, "With Kimberly!"

Billy offered her a slight shrug. "Correct," he reasserted.

"What did you buy?" She asked him, keen to hear what a shopping experience meant in the world of the teenage genius, "It looks like you brought a lot of things!"

"I did exhaust all of my allowance," he explained, "But my father alleged that it was a necessity for me to purchase newer garments to update my wardrobe. Kimberly was very helpful in selecting which items I should purchase, and to my surprise I was pleased with her opinions."

"Wow, Billy," Trini smiled at her friend, "That is great!"

She turned down to the folder in her lap, and began working on her notes on 'Hamlet'. She had pretty much completed the assignment, but felt that it was a good opportunity to strengthen her work even further, knowing that their English teacher graded very hard.

Trini raised her head every once in a while to find Billy leaned over, his mind obviously busy ticking away as he smoothly wrote down his seemingly endless thoughts. It still marveled Trini how dedicated Billy was in everything that he did, and she sometimes wondered why, despite his gifts and steadfast friends, he always seemed to be so down on himself.

"Is your pen inoperative?" Billy spoke up, lifting his aqua eyes from his work.

Trini shook her head. "Um, no, I was just thinking, actually…"

"Do you need assistance with your assignment?" he asked her.

Again she shook her head. "Actually, I've been meaning to ask you for a while how you are," she began, "You've seemed a little down and I was wondering if everything was okay?"

He nodded. "Yes, Trini, everything is fine," he replied, "The slight sorrow you have seen from me as of late seems to have been eased since I spoke to Kimberly yesterday after school."

Again, Trini was surprised. Not because she didn't think Kimberly was helpful, but because she knew that Billy and the cheerleader were the least likely pair when it came to fixing each other's personal issues.

"Do you mind me asking what you spoke about?" Trini asked.

"We talked about some of the similar problems we have faced in regards to dealing with the loss of our mothers," he explained.

Trini slightly gaped, and then quickly shook her head apologetically. "I'm sorry, Billy, I shouldn't have pried…"

"No, Trini, it's okay," he assured her, and she was taken back by his confidence, "It was good for me to talk about it. Actually, I was most surprised by some of the advice Kimberly gave me. She managed to open my eyes."

"What about?"

"She suggested that I was residing in the past with my actions and my wardrobe, because I was subconsciously trying to persist in my life the way it was previous to when my mother passed away," he paused and she offered him a gentle, reassuring smile, "I guess I never thought about it. I forgot about what Kimberly had experienced in her own life, seeing only the vivacious image that she projects at school, forgetting that she is carrying a grief that not many people could begin to understand."

"That's good you two talked," Trini told him, honest relief in her tone, " I'm just really glad to hear that you had a good time shopping with her. I know that most boys wouldn't describe shopping with Kim as much fun."

"It was surprising," he admitted, "Although, it is still only a task I will reserve to only the times of necessity. Kimberly handled herself very well when we had an altercation with three of her cheerleading teammates."

Trini looked at him concerned, "What happened?"

Billy shook his head quickly. "Oh, they were just giving Kimberly a difficult time for being in my presence," he explained.

Trini shook her head. "That's awful…" she sighed, "Don't let it get to you though, okay? Girls like that are mean to other's because they have nothing better to do."

Billy nodded. "Hopefully my purchases today will help me look a little better for my photo tomorrow. I will be able to wear many of the garments at school, so at least I may not look so odd against our fellow students."

"Billy, you shouldn't change the way you are because of other people," Trini cut in gently, "Do it for yourself. I like who you are, not what you wear."

Billy smiled gratefully. "Thank you Trini, I appreciate your advice."

"Not a problem," Trini smiled at him.

**

* * *

**

**_Sunday 1st November, 1993_**

Zack knocked on the door of the Scott's residence, and stepped back, waiting as he heard footsteps move in his direction. He was looking forward to spending a few hours with Jason, hoping to polish off his skills on the basketball court before the trials began for the freshman All-star sporting team the following day.

"Hey Jase," Zack greeted, as Jason opened the door.

"Come in," Jason motioned for him to walk inside, and Zack stepped through, heading knowingly for the living room. He gazed about, surprised not to see Kimberly anywhere, and dropped down into one of the recliners in front of the television.

"You want some toast or something?" Jason asked him, as he attended to something in the open kitchen.

Zack contemplated his friend's offer, and then nodded his head. "Yeah, that'd be great," he replied, "I'm gonna need all the energy as possible for these try outs tomorrow," he admitted.

Jason shook his head. "Nuh bro, seriously, you'll be fine," he reassured him.

"Where's Kimberly?" Zack asked him.

"She's in her bedroom I think," Jason replied, his eyes busy on spreading jam on his toast, "She had someone over last night for a sleep over."

"Ahh," Zack purred, a mischievous grin on his face, "How was that for you?"

Jason rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Don't be stupid," he told him sternly.

Zack just laughed and turned his head back briefly to the television, before an image in tiny shorts and matching pajama tank top sauntered into the living room. Zack looked at her for a moment, her eyes widening with surprise as he unintentionally stared at her.

"Hey Kim," Zack offered her a little wave.

She quickly covered her arms over her body as if she was naked, before throwing Jason a quick look. "I didn't know you were having visitors," she stated, looking slightly embarrassed.

Jason shrugged. "It's just Zack," he told her indifferently, "Toast?"

She eyed him dubiously. "Sure," she replied, before walking towards a pile of neatly folded clothes on the dining table and pulled on a pale blue sweater.

"Haven't you two seen enough of each other lately?" Kimberly continued, walking over to sit down on the couch beside the matching recliner Zack was slumped in.

"Yeah, but we have to practice some ball today," Zack explained, "It all comes down to tomorrow-."

Zack stopped mid sentence as a familiar girl suddenly appeared in the room, her appearance nearly taking his breath away.

Kimberly smirked at him, a cheeky glee in her eyes. "Oh, by the way Zack," she began, motioning to Angela who stared back at them, "This is Angela."

Zack ignored her amused mocking and quickly exchanged a look with Jason.

"Um, Kimberly," Angela began, obviously shocked to see Zack sitting before her, "I was wondering if it was okay if I use your phone to call my mom now to pick me up?"

Kimberly nodded her head. "Sure, you can use the one in my bedroom if you like," she quickly replied.

Zack watched speechless as the beautiful African American walked back out of the living room, and Jason quickly paced over with two plates piled full of toast and sat down beside Kimberly.

The gymnast began to giggle, her display of amusement bringing Zack out of his trance. "Kim!" he hissed at her, leaning over to make sure that Angela could not hear him, "Why is Angela in your house?"

She shrugged, swallowing a mouthful of toast. "She's my partner for my English assignment," she explained, "She stayed the night so we could work on finish our assignment, because she was busy both days this weekend."

Zack directed an accusing look to Jason, but he only shrugged in response. "What?" He asked Zack innocently.

"What?" Zack repeated, ignoring Kimberly's motion to eat some toast, "Why didn't you tell me Angela was gonna be sleeping at your place?"

Jason shook his head incredulously. "My mom would not have let you stay over, if that's what you thought," he informed him.

"Yeah, but at least I could have been prepared," Zack explained, running his hand quickly over his head.

Kimberly leaned over. "Zack, it's okay, just relax," she said to him in a more serious tone, "Stop trying so hard and freaking out."

"Yeah, man, you're gonna scare her if you keep acting so weird every time she goes near you," Jason added.

Zack tried to take in his friends' words of advice, but for some reason the cool, calm and collected Zack seemed to run and hide when it came to the prospect of being in Angela's presence. A girl had never affected him like that, and he did not know how to take it or how to deal with it.

_If only I knew, _he thought to himself,_ If I knew what she thought of me, or what she liked, I might be able to-."_

"Kimberly," he suddenly spoke up as a thought appeared in his mind, "What did Angela say about me to you?"

Kimberly gaped at him. "Um, she didn't say anything," she told him, "We didn't sit around and talk about you. We had work to do."

"Yeah, but girls always sit around and talk about boys when they have their friends sleep over," Zack pressured, knowing that fact from hearing all the sugar sweet fantasizing and whispering from his sisters' room whenever they had a friend stay the night.

"Zack, first of all, I've only known Angela for a little while, and we're not that close yet, and secondly, even if we did talk about boys, I certainly wouldn't tell you about it!"

Zack slumped his shoulders incredulously. "But, we're friends!" He tried to reason, "You're my girl, we tell each other everything!"

Kimberly giggled, and propped her bare feet on the coffee table in front of her. "Like I told you, there's nothing to tell," she told him, "I promise you, Zack."

They all gazed up at the entrance way as Angela suddenly appeared with a leather bound travel bag in her hands. "My mom will be here in a minute," she announced.

Kimberly jumped off the couch, and walked towards her. "Thanks for coming, Angela," she said, "I'm really glad we got that work done."

Angela nodded, and then quickly looked at Zack. "Will you two boys be at the All-Star try outs tomorrow at school?" She asked.

Jason nodded and Zack stared at her dumb struck for a moment, before Kimberly motioned to him anxiously with her eyes so Angela could not see her. "Say something," Kimberly mouthed to him.

"Uh, yeah," he finally managed to say, "I'll be there..."

Angela smiled tightly at him. "Well, maybe I'll see you there," she said to him, "Who knows, if you make it in the team..." she stopped mid way as a car horn blared through her sentence and the two girls abruptly made their way for the front door.

Zack slumped back against the recliner.

"You've got it bad," Jason commented, eyeing him with slight concern.

Zack could only sigh, "You have no idea."

* * *

**_Wednesday 4th November, 1993_**

"Quiet Please," Mr. Caplan announced, as he stood before the microphone, his patience clearly stretching to its limit as the large crowd of ninth grade students continued to chatter. His sigh echoed through the gymnasium, and he finally continued with his speech, "First of all, a big congratulations to all who tried out for this years freshman All-Star team on Monday. The staff here have all been impressed with the efforts we've seen, and your dedication has made our selection process over the last few days even more difficult than usual…"

Zack fidgeted where he stood, eagerly wishing that their school principal would just announce the team members and put him out of his misery.

"Zack, stop moving around," Trini whispered in his ear, as she leaned towards him.

He sighed. "Sorry, I just can't wait for the results," he told her quietly.

He scanned the crowd around him, desperate to see if he could spot Angela in the crowd of hopeful athletes. He hadn't had the opportunity to speak with her since he'd seen her at Kimberly and Jason's, but he hoped that by what she had said to him there, that she was somewhere in the crowd.

_Just so long as I make the team_, he reminded himself. He certainly did not want to miss out in front of her, as that would be possibly the worse thing he could imagine.

"Now, for the list of team members," The principal began. Zack held his breath as he listened to name after name, excited students cheering as they heard their name, or the name of a friend.

"…Garth Dickson, Kevin Falter…Craig Bloom, Timothy Leidheardt, Haydon Crest …Zack Taylor-."

"Yeah!" Zack exclaimed, clenching his fist, and giving Jason a high five.

"And the captain for this year's All-Star team will be…Jason Scott!" Mr. Caplan announced.

"Oh my gosh!" Trini let out a little sequel as she barreled over to give Jason a hug. Zack watched his reserved friend simply nod to the crowd in his usual modesty, and Zack stretched out his hand to slap his best friend on the shoulder.

"Good stuff, Jase," Zack praised.

"Right back to you," Jason smiled at him, his dark eyes motioning to the distance, "And it looks like someone else thought you were equally good…"

Zack turned around in time to see Angela make her way through the slowly dispersing crowd. He quickly wiped his sweaty hands on the sides of his pants, taking a few deep breaths as he watched her get closer.

_I am not gonna stuff it up this time_, he tried to convince himself.

"Hello Zack," she purred, crossing one leg over the other where she stood.

Zack smiled. "Hey Angela," he replied, ignoring the look he was getting from Jason. "It's good to see you here today."

She lightly shrugged. "I wanted to see who was the best of the best at this school," she explained, "I always tried to get involved in athletics at my old school."

He nodded. "Yeah, I noticed you were working out at the Youth Center on the weekend," he pointed out.

"I didn't know you did karate," she told him and Zack sensed that she was rather impressed by the notion.

He shrugged, doing his best to keep a modest gaze. "I've been doing it for a few years," he told her like it was no big deal, "It helps keep me fit."

"Uh-ha," she said, "I could see that when I watched you try out on Monday…you were really good."

Her comment made his cheeks flush, and he felt his words slowly collect in his throat.

"So, I was thinking…" she began, "If maybe you wanted to meet me at the library after school today? I have final class in there, and I thought that maybe we could spend some time together…"

Zack stared at her speechless, before he broke into a toothy grin. "You serious?" He exclaimed, his excitement taking her aback slightly, "Yeah, I mean, yeah, I'd love to!"

She offered him a small smile. "I'll see you then," she told him, before turning and walked off towards the gymnasiums exit.

Zack just stared motionless, barely responding as Jason and Trini walked up beside him. They both dropped a casual arm around each of his shoulders and he sighed happily. "This day is just getting better," he murmured.

"Yeah, but now you have to make sure you don't stuff it up," Jason pointed out as they made their way towards the exit.

Zack shook his head dismissively. "No way, man, I mean did you see the way she looked at me?" he exclaimed, "She totally digs me."

Trini giggled and Zack shook his head again. "You could try being a bit nicer about it," he told them.

Trini flashed him a quick, apologetic look, "I'm sorry, Zack, it's just I've seen the way you act around her, and let's just say you don't always keep it together…"

"Yeah, well just you wait and see," he told her.

They came to a stop as they waited patiently for the mass of students to clear the exit.

"You guys seen Kim or Billy anywhere?" Jason asked, as his eyes skimmed over the crowd, "I thought they would have been here."

"Don't worry, Jase, I'm sure something just held them up," Trini told him consolingly.

* * *

Kimberly paced down the locker corridor, anger fueling every pounding step she took. She was irritated, annoyed and was not in the mood for anything to get in her way. She swung her locker door open and threw her cheerleader pom-poms onto the bottom shelf, and quickly fumbled around for her lunch. 

Thanks to the hold up after her Physical Education class, she had already missed the All-star teams announcement, her cheerleading meeting and to make matters worse, she had missed most of her lunch break. Why did she have to get picked to help put away the classes equipment on today of all days? She had every plan to get the task done in less than ten minutes, but being paired with Bulk and Skull of all people meant that ten minutes turned into thirty.

Those two made her so mad!

Her eyes looked at a small photo of Billy that he had had taken on the Sunday and had given to her as promised. She had stuck the image on the inside of the metal door, and looking at it in her moment of frustration made her smile a little. She relished the distraction in thought, until a solid arm come from behind her, causing her to become backed against the locker with nowhere to turn.

"Hey, what's wrong, goody-goody?" Bulk jibbed.

Kimberly sighed and turned around, attempting to remove Bulk's arm so she could move away.

She scowled when he was too strong, and glared at him. "Leave me alone, Bulk, I want to go and eat my lunch now," she told him, keeping her voice steady.

"Really?" he sneered, "Well, how ya gonna deal when I decide that I don't want to move from here, eh?"

She intensified her glare. "Just move," she told him in a low voice.

He laughed at her, and Skull grinned back at her like an idiot from over his shoulder.

She sighed and shook her head. "Idiots," she whispered under her breath.

"What did you say?" Bulk inched towards her face.

She winced, and looked around the empty hall, hoping that she'd spot someone to help end her predicament with the two bullies. She knew they would never leave her alone. It was unusual for her to be alone at her locker, and she didn't want to admit it, but she didn't feel she had the energy to get in a confrontation with Bulk and Skull. She knew they were normally fairly harmless, usually resorting to crude jibes or cruel sneers, but she still felt uneasy facing them by herself today.

"Look, just leave me alone, I haven't done anything," she tried to reason.

"Yeah, except make us look like idiots back there," Bulk replied back, "I'm sick of you and your goody-goody friends trying to make us look like we're stupid…" he looked around as if to make a point, "But, um, I see you don't have Mr. Black belt boy to protect you this time…boo hoo hoo," he mocked her.

"Yeah, look at her Bulky, she's crying like a little baby," Skull teased.

She sighed. "I don't think so," she retorted, reaching up with her arm to push against his arm. Bulk grabbed her quickly, but turned around as they heard excited chatter coming from the nearby stairs.

Kimberly sighed a look of relief, as Jason, Zack, Trini and Billy suddenly appeared a few yards away.

Jason's gaze narrowed, and his pace quickened. "Let her go," he growled at them, his low voice steadfast and uncompromising.

Bulk immediately let her arm go, obviously not realizing he still had a hold on it and flicked his arms in the air as he stepped back. "Contain the rage, Jason, we were just talking," the solid bully explained, a nervous stammer in his tone.

Kimberly stepped towards Jason, straightening herself up now that she felt a boost of confidence on her side.

Jason looked at her carefully. "What's wrong?" he asked her, and she shook her head dismissively.

"Take a chill pill, geekazoid," Bulk sniggered at the martial arts student, "She was only making a date with me," he added as a toothy smile lit up his chubby face.

Skull frowned beside him, his brown eyes blinking as he absorbed his friend's comment.

Kimberly pouted and put a hand on her hip. "I was not arranging a date with you, I don't even like you!" She snapped at him, unintentionally inching towards him.

"Ooh, I'm so scared," Bulk mocked her, his face twisting into a look of disgust, "I'm glad you're acting so big when Mr. Kung Fu joke is joined to your hip."

"Yeah, well it's not a surprise that you feel the need to pick on a lonely girl," Billy suddenly piped up from a few feet away.

They all looked his way and Kimberly threw him a small, thankful smile. Her gratefulness slowly diminished, however, as Bulk removed his attention from her and stalked towards Billy, clearly irritated by his comment.

"She's not the only girl here, dweebster. I saw that photo of you in Kimberly's locker, and I must say you looked quite pretty. What'd ya think, Skull?" Bulk commented nastily, as he inched his face towards the smaller boy.

Skull broke in his usual chuckle and nodded his head, "Yeah, you look really pretty Billy!"

"Leave him alone!" Kimberly suddenly protested.

"It is okay, Kimberly, I can handle this on my own," Billy replied calmly.

She threw Jason a distressed look, before jumping as Bulk placed a solid hand on Billy's lean arm. She was about to run between them when suddenly Billy struck his free arm towards him, the two feuding teens engaging in a quick scuffle before they both ended up on the laminate floor. She saw that Jason was about to intervene, when Bulk suddenly tried to get himself on top, and in the process, unintentionally threw an aimless hand towards Billy's face.

"Oh my God!" Kimberly cried out as Billy lurched backwards. She fell down to her knees and instantly reached for Billy's face, catching his broken glasses as they slid off his downcast face. "Are you all right?"

Billy raised his head courageously, his tone one she that she was not expecting. "Leave us alone," he said to Bulk and Skull.

Kimberly watched the two bullies apprehensively, as they quickly stumbled backwards, before turning and disappearing down the hall. She looked up as Jason, Zack and Trini all immediately crowded around their fallen friend, Trini's dark eyes widening in horror.

"Are you all right, Billy?" Zack asked him, "Bulk hit you pretty hard."

"Did he hurt you?" Trini questioned in a voice that was bleeding with concern, "Maybe we should go to get a teacher..."

Kimberly shuffled around so that Jason could inspect Billy's face. She analyzed Jason's expression carefully, relieved when a small grin of easement flashed on his face.

"You look fine," Jason admitted, reaching under Billy's arm to help him stand up.

Kimberly looked down at the broken glasses in her hands, and carefully handed them over to her friend. "Here," she said to him with an extended hand, "I can't believe he broke your glasses...is your dad going to be mad at you?"

Billy shrugged, a look of contentment on his face. "I was probably in need of new pair of visual aids," he replied, running a hand quickly over his hair, "Besides, I am uninjured, and Bulk didn't intend to do it…"

"Billy, you didn't have to do that," Kimberly spoke up, reaching to touch his arm, "I didn't want you to get hurt."

He smiled at her. "I did what was necessary," he replied, "I hope now when I am faced in a similar predicament in the future, I will be able to handle myself in a more appropriate fashion."

Kimberly looked away as she suddenly noticed the masses of students piling into the locker hall, and slumped her shoulders. "Great, what a lunch!" she exclaimed exasperated, "I didn't even get to eat and I'm still in my cheerleading uniform!" She peered up at Jason, "I'm so sorry I missed the announcement," she told him, "How did you guys go?"

Jason nodded and smiled as they all began towards their lockers. "Zack and I both got on the team," he told her, quickly motioning to Zack with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "Mr. Zack-man scored himself a date with Angela after school..."

Kimberly gawked. "Really?" She exclaimed astonished.

Jason nodded again. "Yep, seems like the girls really do think we're worth looking at," he continued.

Kimberly raised her eyebrows and giggled. "Yeah, totally..." she replied sarcastically, as she gave him a little punch.

They slowed as a girl suddenly stopped in front of them, a shy smile plastered on her face. Kimberly looked at her confused, as the three boys beside her looked amongst themselves expectedly.

_What, does she want? And who is she looking at like that? Jason, maybe?_

"Um Billy," the girl began, clutching her books firmly to her chest, "My friend Beth, she's in your science class…she wanted to let you know that she likes you and she wanted to know if you were interested in maybe going out with her?"

Kimberly tried to conceal her shock. She dug a hand into Jason's back to stop him from cracking under the obvious mirth he was experiencing at the situation, and quickly motioned to them to move along and give Billy some privacy.

_Good going Billy_, she thought to herself, _It's time for the rest of the world to see who you really are inside!_

The all quickly walked away, and Kimberly threw a quick glance over her head, unable to conceal a smile as she saw her intelligent friend for the first time in a new light.

---

**Coming up Next in Episode 5 "Desperate and Dateless":** _The annual Winter ball throws the teenagers into a world of dating and love, causing complete chaos, as hearts are broken and tested. Trini struggles to fit in as she tries to deal with her disapproving father and being an odd one out. Is dating the most important thing in the world?_


	6. Ep5: Desperate and Dateless

**R&R: REBIRTH OF THE LEGACY**

**Desperate and Dateless- Episode 5**

By Chanelle Summer

_A/N- This chapter is a long one, my apologies. It's probably a bit too long, but after writing and reading it and then reading it again a ton of times, I didn't want to touch it anymore. I've been fairly scatter-brained this week. Anyway, hope you still find some enjoyment from this chapter, and as always, thanks for ALL you reviews- They mean so much to me!_

* * *

_The teenagers are occupied by an annual Winter Ball at school, as they're thrown into the world of romance, dating and teenage doting. As they all struggle with a range of feelings as the big night approaches, Trini finds herself in a predicament that none of her friends could understand. But is not having a date the end of the world and which hearts will get broken in the end?_

_**The Scott Residence**_

_**Wednesday 29th December 1993**_

"Can you please pass me the ketchup?"

Jason picked the bottled condiment from in front of his plate and passed it over to Zack. He watched his friend with curiosity as he began to pile the crimson sauce onto the slices of meat on his plate. The ketchup was poured on in such a large amount, that Jason would have sworn Zack was trying to turn his meal into some kind of soup.

He suddenly blinked as Kimberly started laughing from beside him, her loud, stifling display apparently caused by something amusing Billy had said. That fact in itself was amusing to Jason, being that he hardly saw Billy as the comedian type.

"...Oh my gosh," Kimberly murmured, before she inhaled and exhaled dramatically. "You totally crack me up Billy."

Billy was slightly squirming in his chair across from her, clearly embarrassed by the attention she had bestowed on him. Jason smiled inwardly at his awkwardness and decided he'd change the subject and rescue his quiet friend from his own discomfort.

"So, are you guys all going to the Winter Ball?" He asked.

Zack grinned, his toothy, exuberant expression enough of an answer for Jason. "I've already asked Angela," Zack announced, "And before you guys start bagging me, she's already said yes."

"I'm going with Beth," Billy spoke out loud.

Jason immediately turned his glance from Zack to his smart friend, unable to conceal a mix of surprise and happiness at his announcement. Before Jason had a chance to congratulate him, Billy had put his drink straw in his mouth in an obvious attempt to look preoccupied.

"Hey, Billy, that's great," Trini praised from beside him. "Isn't she on the committee?"

"Affirmative," Billy replied, "The event should be well received by the schooling community upon our return to classes next week."

"Do you think it matters that we don't have dates?" Kimberly asked, her eyes on her plate as though she was studying something interesting on it.

"No, of course it doesn't matter," Trini assured her friend, "We're still all going as a group, right?"

"Of course," Zack spoke up, his reply slightly muffled by the food in his mouth.

Kimberly nodded weakly at her friends, but Jason could tell she was still unconvinced.

Jason had told himself that it wasn't important that he didn't have a date for the ball, but the fact that he heard it was traditionally a couples event, had him feeling a twinge of doubt himself. He smiled at her as Zack and Trini stood up and walked over to the kitchen, and leaned over to speak quietly in her ear.

"Don't worry, Kim, I'm sure someone will ask you."

She pulled her head back slightly and eyed him suspiciously. "What makes you say that?" She asked him.

He shrugged. "I don't know anything, I'm just sure that someone will...what about that Robert guy? He likes you..."

"Yeah, you could always go with Skull!" Zack teased from where he was standing nearby. "And Trini could go with Bulk!" He added with a hoot.

Kimberly scowled and twisted her head around to mock glare in Zack's direction. "That's not even funny, Zack," she warned him.

Zack laughed, but the exchange was quickly ended when Trini cleared her throat to draw their attention. "Uh, I gotta go home now, guys," she announced, "My father asked me to come home by one for when my grandmother arrives..."

"Today's the day your grandmother is moving in?" Jason asked her. He knew that Trini's grandmother was moving in to the Kwan's residence and he was aware that his friend was slightly apprehensive about having her live there.

Trini nodded. "Yes," she replied, "So, I better get going."

* * *

Trini walked quietly through the front door of her double story home, and immediately removed her shoes, before heading through the archway and into the kitchen. Her mother was leaning over the sink, and turned her head slightly as she noticed her daughter enter the room.

"Hello, Trini, how was your lunch with your friends?" She asked, as Trini sat down at the small dining table.

Trini nodded with enthusiasm. "It was fun," she told her mother, "We talked about what we all got for Christmas and what we did. Kimberly had fun with her uncle in Los Angeles...oh, and we were also talking about-."

"Trini." Her father's voice interrupted Trini's explanation to her mother as he entered the small kitchen, "I'm glad to see you home early."

"I told everyone that I had to get home early for grandma," Trini explained to him, "I am looking forward to seeing her...actually, there was something I wanted to ask you, dad..."

He sat down in the chair opposite her as her mother placed a cup of tea before him, and he eyed Trini with his full attention. "Of course. What is it?"

Trini silently took a deep breath. "Well, it's about an event at school in a few weeks," she began, "A dance..."

She watched the creases in his forehead deepen; his eyes narrowing with each word that she spoke.

"I-It's a fundraising event for the school," she continued, "Everyone is going..."

"Trini, you know how I feel about those kind of events," he told her dubiously, "I don't mind you spending time with the people I know and trust, but unfortunately there are a lot of adolescents who live without any discipline and I do not like the idea of you being in the presence of those kind's of people."

"But father, I promise you, it isn't like that at all," Trini tried to reason, "I'll be going with Kimberly, Jason, Zack and Billy...we'll just be dancing and eating party food, and there will be plenty of teachers there."

She watched him sigh and look up to his wife and Trini bit her lip as they quickly exchanged some words in their natural language.

_I knew this would happen..._Trini thought to herself, _What if dad doesn't allow me to even attend the dance? How will I be able to tell everyone? They'll never understand... _

Her father's strict view of the world was one of the primary reasons Trini was uneasy about having her grandmother live with them. Trini knew her grandmother loved her very much, but she hoped that the change wouldn't equal another authority figure in her life. Trini loved how much everyone cared about her, but sometimes she longed to have the freedom her friend's seemed to take for granted.

"Trini, we'll discuss this later," Her father decided as he finished his hot drink and stood up from the table. "Go and get changed, your grandmother will be here shortly..."

Trini nodded her head obediently and headed for her bedroom.

* * *

**_Angel Grove High School_**

_**Tuesday 4th January, 1994**_

Kimberly maneuvered her way through the small crowd of students, hovering around the ticket table set up selling tickets to the Winter Ball. She could overhear the excited chatter of girls discussing their dates and their dresses, and Kimberly couldn't help but smile herself as she saw the banner hung across the locker hallway.

_Less then two weeks until the big dance_, she thought excitedly as she walked to her locker deep in thought and absentmindedly pulled it open. She loved the energy the impending night had on her, and was glad to have the distraction with the return back to school.

She shuffled her textbooks around in her locker, glimpsing in the mirror on the inside of her door to check her hair. She dreamingly moved her long, loose tresses into a few various styles, still trying to decide how she would wear her hair for the formal occasion.

_Hmm…maybe I might just keep it down,_ she thought.

"Hey Kim," Trini dropped her chin on Kimberly's shoulder, "Still trying to work out a hair style?"

"Ah-ha," Kimberly nodded, spinning around to face her friend, "But I still can't decide whether to wear it up or down…"

Kimberly bit her lip and Trini studied her thoughtfully. "I think that you should maybe brush it to the side, and pin a few strands up," Trini suggested.

Kimberly nodded, contemplating the suggestion. "Yeah, you know I have a really nice hair pin that would go great with my dress…" She murmured, her thoughts back into her own world as she tried to picture the hairstyle in her mind.

"Kimberly, you ready to go home?" Jason asked, stopping beside the two girls in the hall.

She quickly shook her head out of thoughts. "Um, yeah, just let me finish getting my stuff," she told him.

He nodded, and motioned with his hand up ahead. "Sure, I've just gotta grab something from Mr. Evans, so I'll meet you back here," he told her, before heading off down the hall.

"How about, I come over and we work on that algebra work together, and then we can see if we can work out a hair style for you?" Trini suggested.

Kimberly gawked, and then broke into a toothy grin. "That would be great!" she gushed.

"I'll just grab my things and I'll meet you back here..."

Kimberly nodded and turned back to her locker, trying to remember what she was after in the first place, when she felt another tap on her shoulder.

She spun around, almost falling back into the lockers when she came face to face with Daniel Ferguson, star quarterback for the Angel Grove football team.

His sandy hair sat non-pretentiously, his well-sculpted arms highlighted in a teal muscle shirt and to Kimberly, he certainly looked even more attractive up close. She'd barely been near him before, being that he was two grades above her and was usually only ever seen in the company of the schools most popular senior students.

_So…why is he tapping on my shoulder?_

He stared silently at her, and she awkwardly offered him a shy smile. "Hi, uh, I'm sorry, am I in your way?"

He shook his head and cleared his throat. "No, my name's Daniel, I've seen you around," he began in a confident, husky tone, "You're a cheerleader for the school."

Kimberly nodded her head quickly. "Yeah, I know who you are," she said quickly, "I mean, I think everyone in the school knows who you are," she added, a nervous smile attached to the end of her sentence.

_He is so cute for a jock..._

"Do you have a ticket to the Winter Ball?" He asked.

_What, is he trying to sell me a ticket?_ She thought, suddenly withdrawing from her dreamy thoughts.

"Um, yeah," she nodded, "I brought tickets this morning with my friends…"

"Cool," he said, "So, I was wondering if you'd like to go with me?" He asked, as if it were simply a casual, fleeting statement.

Kimberly blinked at him several times, his words slowly absorbing. She shook her head, a hazy look in her eyes. "Uh I'm sorry…did I just hear you right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I want you to be my date for the dance," he repeated, "You know, I'm hosting the event, so I think I could show you a pretty good time…"

"I um…wow," she paused, "Yeah, I mean, I'd love to go. I'm sorry, this was just so unexpected…" She quickly tried to compose herself and offered him another quick smile.

"Great," he said, "Well, I'll need to talk to you about plans and stuff…when are you free?"

"I'll be at the Youth Center tomorrow after school," she said, "I can meet you there if you like?"

"Okay, I'll see you then," he said, dropping his hand to her shoulder. He gave it a gentle squeeze before turning away and meeting up with three of his friends at the end of the hall.

Her eyes remained transfixed on the spot where he was last standing, when Trini suddenly reappeared before her. "Did I just hear that right?" She asked, "Did Daniel Ferguson just ask you to the dance- the dance he's running?"

Kim nodded, her lips slightly gaping. "Yeah," she finally replied, "I have no idea why, though…" she puckered her lips to the side of her face, "You don't think he was joking, do you?" She finally asked, still feeling confused as to why the handsome eleventh grader would ask her to go over the countless other girls at their school.

"From what I heard, he sounded pretty serious, Kim," Trini pointed out. She smiled, "You are going to be the most envied girl at that dance," she added.

Kimberly broke into a large smile. "Oh my gosh, I cannot believe he would ask me out! I mean, I've barely even spoken to him before!"

"He seems nice enough," Trini said, "You can never tell with those sorts of guys…will Jason's parents be okay with it?"

Kimberly thought for a moment and then shrugged. "Yeah, I can't see why not, as long as I tell them," she replied, "I mean, there are going to be a heap of teachers there and I'll be with you guys…"

They both spun around as Jason and Zack approached them. Kimberly smiled tightly, trying to dissipate the guilty look on her face. _Why do I feel guilty, if a guy asks me to the dance, I should be happy and they should be happy too..._

Jason picked up on her awkwardness immediately. "What's up?" He asked her.

Kimberly shrugged and turned around to close her locker. "Uh, I just got asked to the Winter Ball," she revealed, still keeping her back to them.

"By Daniel Ferguson," Trini quickly added.

"Are you serious, girl?" Zack asked, playfully slapping her on the shoulder, "He's the quarterback of the football team!"

Kimberly smiled, and spun around, a slight blush swelling on her cheeks, "I didn't know what to say, I mean, I've seen him at a lot at different events, but I've never really spoken to him before…"

"You should be excited," Trini pointed out.

"You think so?" Kimberly asked her, still not sure about how to feel.

"Yeah, Kim, he's the one hosting the event," Jason stated, "That's a pretty big deal."

She let out a dreamy sigh, and both Trini and Jason grabbed an arm each and began dragging her along on what was sure to be a dance-chatter filled walk home.

* * *

Trini shook her head amused as her best friend twirled around in front of her, and then broke into an admiring smile.

"Wow, Kim, it looks great!" She exclaimed.

As expected, after the two girls had arrived at Kimberly's place that afternoon, they had completely forgone all plans to do some homework. Instead, Kimberly enthusiastically dragged Trini to her bedroom, where she pulled on her dress for the dance and paraded it around the room for her.

Trini had to admit that her best friend looked really pretty in her gown. As always, her signature color of hot pink radiated off her in the long, thin-strapped styled dress. She had twirled around in a dream-like state, coming to a sudden stop only when Trini gushed out her verdict on how wonderful she looked.

Kimberly smoothed her hands down the sides of the evening dress and then looked back at Trini apprehensively. "Are you sure it looks good?" She asked, as she bit her lip. "I'm really not sure..."

Trini rolled her eyes light heartedly. "You look so pretty," she assured her, "You'll look even better once you have all your hair done."

Kimberly's eyes widened at Trini's final words as if some miraculous thought just popped into her head. "That's the next thing I need to work out!" She exclaimed.

The two girls moved over to Kimberly's vanity table, and Trini played around with Kimberly's long dark hair as they experimented with different styles and accessories. Because both girls had always had very long hair, they had often sat around and played with different hairstyles, and Trini knew that she'd be able to think of a style that her best friend would love.

"Pass me that clip," Trini asked Kimberly, as she held the gymnast's hair in a high roll.

As Trini continued to fiddle with her friend's hair, Kimberly babbled away about the dance and chattered about gossip on who was taking who. Usually Trini would have eagerly chattered back, but she didn't feel the same buzz that Kimberly felt. Trini still had the major predicament of not even knowing if she was allowed to attend the dance at all, and she hadn't shared that detail with any of her friends.

Not to mention, even if she somehow managed to convince her father to let her go, she still had the issue of being completely dateless. She was genuinely happy for her best friend, but only wished she could match her enthusiasm so they could share their excitement on the same level.

_I don't know why I'm so worried about it, _Trini tried to reason with herself, _It's not like I'm the only one without a date...There use to be a time when we never even thought about that sort of thing anyway! Since when did it become so important? _

She accidentally sighed out loud at her internal anguish, and Kimberly's non-stop rambling came to a sudden halt.

"Are you okay?" Kimberly asked, and Trini could see the confusion in her face in the mirror in front of them. "Don't you think that Billy-."

"I wasn't sighing about what you were saying," Trini quickly cut in, as she released the hairstyle from Kimberly's head.

Kimberly pursed her lips. "You don't seem very excited about the dance, Trini," she observed.

Trini reached for the hairbrush and gently moved it through her friend's hair. "I am excited," she half-lied, "I guess I don't feel as excited about the dance as you or Zack, because to me it's just another dance...to you guys, it's a date, and you should be really excited." She attached a smile to the end of her sentence in an attempt to lighten the situation, but she knew that Kimberly's intuition was far too good for her facade.

"Trini, just because I'm going as Daniel's date, does not mean we are not going to have fun together," Kimberly tried to assure her, "You are my best friend, and I plan to spend as much time with you guys as possible...plus, Jason doesn't have anyone to go with."

Trini raised an eyebrow. "I don't want to go as Jason's date," she told Kimberly gently. In the past it had been typical for the group of friends to partner off with one and other for these occasions, but Trini didn't want to go with Jason this time.

_Plus, I may not even be able to go…it would be stupid of me to make a date with someone, and then cancel; that would just be embarrassing._

Kimberly smiled gently. "I'm not saying you should go with Jason, what I meant was that it's not going to be the way you think it is...I mean, if you like, I can tell Daniel I don't want to go with him like the way he wants..."

Trini quickly shook her head. "No no," she spoke up, "Don't you dare, Kim...I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to sound that way. You're right, the dance is going to be fun...I guess I just felt a little strange about the whole idea of dating and things like that. It's all come up so suddenly."

"It's new to both of us," Kimberly reminded her, "I have no idea what I'm doing...I still can't believe a guy asked me to the dance! I'm like so freaked about what to do, how to act...I mean he's really nice to me, but I hope I act right on the night."

Trini parted Kimberly's hair to the side, and swept her bangs back with a pin. "Kim, he likes you, you're perfect the way you are," Trini tried to reason with her friend.

They both looked up as there was a knock at the bedroom door, and it slowly opened.

"Oh, hey guys," Jason said as he stood in the doorway, "Um, I didn't realize you guys were doing...girl things..."

"Do you want anything?" Kimberly asked him.

He shook his head quickly. "Nuh, I was gonna see if you wanted to go and play some b-ball, but it's cool," he explained.

He closed the door and Trini giggled. "He is such a dag sometimes," she commented.

Kimberly nodded her head dramatically. "I know," she agreed, before she stood up and swung around.

Trini smiled. "See, that's how you should definitely wear your hair!"

"I know!" Kimberly squealed, giving her a quick, excited hug. "Thanks Trini!"

* * *

**_Thursday 6th January 1994_**

A few days had passed, and Kimberly found herself trying to fight thoughts about the dance so that she could try to finish her homework at the Youth Center after a tedious day at school. She tapped her pen aimlessly on the table she was working at, attempting to grasp the pointer notes that Billy had given her to help with an assignment she was doing. It wasn't like her to not understand things at school, but atoms and chemicals were certainly not her strong point, and even with the slight help of her genius friend, she couldn't wrap her mind around it.

_He's only sitting across the table, I should just ask him to help me directly_, she thought, looking up to see Billy's nose firmly planted in a thick, hardcover book. Kimberly couldn't even pronounce the title of the book, and figured she should probably leave him be.

She instead returned to her own work, and replaced the tapping with doodling. It was nearly only a week to the dance, and her excitement from two days ago had turned into anticipation of a different kind.

_My first real outing with a guy… _

Although she couldn't say they were exactly an item, going to the dance with Daniel as his date meant for the first time she was doing something a little romantic. She'd met up with him a few times since he invited her, and she admitted that she thought he was quite cute and certainly boyfriend material.

She just hoped he felt the same way.

"Uh-um excuse me?"

Kimberly looked up from her mindless drawing and blinked at the tall, blond girl who had come up beside her.

_Karla Portman_…Kimberly knew her from the school choir.

"Hi, you after me?" Kimberly asked her.

"Yes, you're Kimberly right? I heard that you're going to the Winter Ball with Daniel Ferguson…"

"Yeah," Kimberly nodded her head a little, unsure of what point the girl was trying to make.

"Anyway, I was wondering if I could ask you something?" The sophomore student asked in a bubbly voice.

Kimberly pursed her lips a little and nodded again.

Karla giggled a little nervously. "I just wanted to ask you something about that friend of yours, you know the one that's always here doing karate…"

Kimberly raised an eyebrow. _Which one? _She thought to herself.

"You know, the cute one, brown hair, really fit and stuff…" The blond continued.

"Jason Scott?" Kimberly guessed with a small smile.

Karla nodded quickly. "Yeah, him, um look I was wondering, cause you seem to know him so well, does he have a date for the Winter Ball?"

Kimberly blinked, not sure how to answer. She knew very well that Jason didn't have a date, but she didn't know whether he'd want to go with Karla. Kimberly thought she was a pretty nice girl, though, and knew that Jason was pretty much useless when it came to girls. Even Kimberly herself could admit that her best friend was a pretty good catch, and so decided she would take the opportunity to play a bit of cupid.

"Uh, no, I don't think so…" Kimberly finally replied.

Karla's eyes lit up, a smile gracing her face. "Well, do you think he'd be interested in maybe…"

At that moment, Kimberly spotted her friend in question wonder through the entrance of the juice bar. She instantly tried to grab his attention with her eyes, but he didn't seem to pick it up and wondered straight over to where they were seated.

"Uh, well you can ask him yourself," Kimberly quickly spoke up, and Karla swung around almost crashing into Jason. She rocked back on her feet, and Kimberly felt rather amused by the awkward display. "Jason, Karla wants to know if you would like to go to the Winter Ball with her?" She quickly blurted out.

Jason was clearly shocked by the proposition. "Say yes," Kimberly tried to mouth to him without Karla seeing.

Jason blinked. "Sure," he cleared his throat, "Yeah, sure…that'd be great."

Karla smiled at him, her whole face lighting up. "Great!" She gushed, "I can't wait! I'll see you tomorrow at school and we'll talk about our plans. See you then!" She offered a little wave before leaving towards the exit.

"Hey, what's up?" Zack asked as he approached them from below.

Kimberly smiled. "Jason just got himself a date to the ball," she revealed.

Zack gaped at his friend. "No way!" He exclaimed, "Who with?"

"Karla Portman, you know she's the head of the tenth grade choir," Kimberly explained.

"Good going Jase!" Zack stated enthusiastically, "You got yourself an older girl!"

Kimberly watched Jason closely. His expression was distant, his mind obviously a million miles away.

"Jason?"

"So, it looks like our 'friends' outing is turning into a couples thing..." Jason commented.

Kimberly nodded. "Yeah, everyone has a date accept for Trini…" Kimberly's voice trailed off as she spotted her Asian friend wonder in through the entrance, already dressed and ready for her karate class.

Trini approached their table, and Kimberly couldn't help but sense that Trini seemed a little different. She knew that Trini was already feeling a little down about not getting a date for the dance, but Kimberly now felt even worse that Jason had just cemented himself someone to go with.

_I don't think I'll say anything to her about it today; I don't want to make her feel bad or awkward-._

"Hey, you just missed Jason catch himself a date for the dance!" Zack blurted out, obviously unaware of Trini's downcast thoughts about the looming event.

Kimberly instantly cringed inwardly, and was about to speak up, but the moment was interrupted as their karate instructor entered the Youth Center. Kimberly instead offered her four friends a quick wave as they made their way down to the working area for their class.

"Hi Kimberly," a husky voice came from behind her.

She turned around quickly and offered Daniel a beaming smile as he dropped down in the seat beside her.

"Hey, you're looking pretty today," he commented and she blushed. She felt herself almost permanently with rosy cheeks whenever she was around the older athlete, feeling shy but secretly happy at how he was always complimenting her.

"So, you doing anything here, or are you just doing some study?" He asked, motioning to the piles of books in front of her.

She shook her head quickly. "Nah, I'm all done," she lied, closing her notebook.

_School work can wait_, she thought to herself, knowing she couldn't resist the opportunity to spend some time with the dashing man beside her.

* * *

**_Monday 10th January, 1994_**

Trini moved her pen flawlessly along the lined paper, stopping every so often to gather her thoughts, before returning to continue the essay for her English class. She knew she had plenty of time to complete the difficult assignment, but thought it was more responsible for her to complete the piece then, rather than leaving it to the last minute.

_Plus, it's not like I have anything better to do this afternoon, _she reminded herself, thinking of how her four closest friends were all meeting up with their significant other's for the highly anticipated school dance.

It is not that Trini was bitter about the sudden emphasis on romance in her friends' lives, but she just felt awkward around the subject and preferred not to get involved. It was unusual for her to feel the odd one out, but knew that it wasn't the end of the world. Her time would come eventually, too.

"Trini, would you like a drink?"

Trini looked up to the open entranceway of her bedroom, and smiled politely at her grandmother. Trini was still getting use to having her grandmother there every day, and sometimes felt startled when she suddenly appeared.

"Yes thankyou, grandma, that would be nice," Trini replied, as the elderly lady walked carefully into the room and placed a cup of tea on Trini's desk.

"How are you going with your school work?" Her grandmother asked, as she sat down on Trini's bed. "Do you need any help?"

Trini shook her head. "No, I'm okay, thankyou," Trini responded and she took a sip of her drink, savoring the hot liquid.

"I wanted to show you something," the elderly woman began, as she pointed down to the ground beside Trini's wooden closet. "If you wouldn't mind, would you go and take a look in that box, dear?"

Trini was surprised that her grandmother was sitting with her. She had always spent a lot of time at her grandmothers, but they rarely discussed subjects of a casual nature. Trini walked over to the box on the floor and picked it up, wondering what her grandmother would want to show her. She carried it over to the bed, and sat down beside her, holding the mysterious package on her lap.

"Open it..."

Trini pulled the lid off and her eyes lit up as she came face to face with a beautiful pair of slightly heeled shoes. The beaded straps glistened in the light from above, and after Trini regained her composure, she immediately began to wonder why she was holding them.

"What are they?" Trini asked.

Her grandmother smiled. "They are yours," she replied gently, "I would like you to wear them to your dance."

Trini blinked. "For me?" She whispered, taken aback. "Grandma!" She exclaimed, as she quickly wrapped her arms around the woman's fragile shoulders. "Thank you so much, Grandma..." Trini whispered in her ear as they continued their embrace.

"I hope that you will like them, and that they will go with your outfit."

Trini nodded. "They're perfect!" She paused, "Did mom and dad say it was okay for me to wear them?"

Her grandmother's eyes squinted a little. "Why do you ask?"

Trini shrugged, and then leaned over to pick up her cup of tea. "Mom was okay, but father seemed a little...unhappy about the idea of me going to the dance. I don't think it was because he doesn't trust me, but all my friends are going as dates, you know as a romantic thing," Trini took a sip, and quickly swallowed, "I know that he just wants to protect me. I was thinking of not attending, because I didn't want him to disapprove of me."

Her grandmother reached out her hand, and held Trini's as she began to speak. "Trini, you are a young woman now...your mother and father are so very proud of you and all that you have achieved. I spoke to your father about the dance, and I think he was apprehensive because he didn't know about what type of event it would be," she paused, and Trini watched her carefully. "Your father is a proud and earnest man- but despite his beliefs, Trini, your father has always listened to one person other than himself."

Trini eyed her grandmother curiously. "Who?" She coaxed.

The elderly lady smiled gently. "His mother," she replied, slightly chuckling, "I know what this means to you, Trini. I know it's not easy, with your sister living away at college. But, you go to your dance and you have a wonderful time."

Trini smiled slightly. "Really? Dad isn't worried about it?"

The elderly lady ran a gentle hand over Trini's jet-black locks. "No, dear, he wants you to have fun with your friends..." she motioned to Trini's desk, "You better finish your study, your mother and father will be home from work soon."

Trini nodded and watched her grandmother leave, and then glanced back at her brand new shoes. She couldn't believe the words spoken from the elderly lady, and was warmed by the casual and caring thoughts that she shared with her.

Maybe having her grandmother living with her was one of the best things that could have happened to her!

* * *

Jason waited patiently outside the Youth Center for Zack, watching with mild amusement as his friend in black stood in the distance, obviously whispering sweet nothings to Angela. Zack was unable to hide the bliss in his eyes, and the joyous grin was advertised all over his face.

"So, has Beth told you how many students they're expecting at the dance?" Jason asked Billy as the two friends stood beside each other.

Billy shrugged. "The committee has yet to confirm final numbers," he replied, "But it does appear that there will be a rather large turnout."

"Are you all ready for the night?"

"I think so," Billy replied, a slight hesitation in his voice. "Beth is very excited, and I am confident it will be a positive night..." His sentence trailed off and Jason eyed him closely.

Jason frowned. "What?" He asked him, a puzzled expression on his face.

Billy pursed his lips. "Uh, it's nothing..." he murmured quietly, before he quickly cleared his throat. "I must be getting home now."

Jason said goodbye to his quickly departing friend, and shook his head in confusion, before he directed his look Zack's way in an effort to get his attention. Zack's eyes met his and he reluctantly parted from his beautiful girlfriend and jogged over to meet Jason.

"Sorry bout that," Zack apologized as the two boys began down the path.

Jason shook his head. "You and Angela are really hitting it off, aren't you?" He observed, knowing that Zack was bursting to ramble on about the wonderful afternoon he'd spent with her.

Zack grinned. "She is amazing," he commented, "I can't wait until this dance on Friday!"

Jason nodded. "Yeah, it should be fun," he agreed, although his tone was lacking the enthusiasm that Zack had displayed.

"It'll be a great night," Zack corrected him. "I mean, you're going with a gorgeous girl, what more could you want?"

Jason chuckled lightly at Zack's comment. He was use to his best friend's excitement over pretty women, even though his love for girls wasn't always reciprocated. Zack had always told Jason that he was an expert on women because he grew up in a house with four of them, but Jason still thought that Zack had a long way to go before he could prove he was 'all that'.

"So..." Zack emphasized the word and Jason tried to ignore his prying, but eventually gave a resigned sigh.

"So, she's nice," Jason admitted, thinking about his date for the dance. "Except she seemed to be more interested in talking to Daniel when he arrived, then she did talking to me."

Zack raised an eyebrow. "Girls always like football players, you know that. Come on, man! She seems really into you, and you're like 'she's nice'," he rambled incredulously, "What, are you letting her chase you?"

Jason laughed as they quickly crossed the street and then shook his head. "Zack, it's just a dance...I mean, I don't know what to say to her, we don't have anything to talk about," he admitted.

"She's a girl, Jase," Zack reminded him, "She's supposed to be different and you're not supposed to understand her."

Jason nodded. "Yeah, maybe..."

"So what about Kimberly, man did you check out the googly eyes she was giving him all afternoon?" Zack commented, "She was making me sick."

Jason smiled wryly, holding back on his desire to point out that Zack had been behaving in exactly the same manner. At times he found it hilarious when Kimberly and Zack tried to point out the faults of the other, when Jason knew very well that the both of them had very similar personalities.

"I think that Kimberly thinks there is more going on between them, then Daniel thinks," Jason shared. He lived with Kimberly and was the one who had to put up with her constant ravings about 'Daniel' this and 'Daniel that'.

"What, you don't think he likes her?" Zack asked confused. "From the way he was throwing himself all over her, I'm thinking I don't agree with you."

Jason shook his head. "Nuh, I mean she's probably already planned their wedding, and they haven't even gone on their first date yet," he explained, "I just hope she doesn't get upset if things don't go to plan."

"She'll be right," Zack stated, "Hey, have you noticed Trini being weird lately?"

Jason nodded. "Yeah, I think she's kind sick of all the dance stuff, I don't blame her really..."

Zack shrugged, and they both slowed down as they approached the Taylor household. "So, my mom's taking me to pick up my suit tomorrow, have you got yours already?"

"Yeah, my mom's taking Kimberly and I to the mall tomorrow after school to pick up anything else we need..."

Zack sniggered. "That sounds like fun," he commented sarcastically.

Jason nodded in agreement. "I'll catch you tomorrow at school," he told him.

"Sure," Zack nodded, his trademark grin rushing over his face, "I'm meeting Angela before class..."

Jason rolled his eyes and shook his head. Judging by the way his closest friends were behaving, he was beginning to think that love was some kind of sickness.

* * *

**_Friday 15th January 1994_**

The afternoon of the Winter Ball had finally arrived, and two hours had passed before Kimberly was finally able to steal herself away from the mirror in the bathroom. She lost count of the amount of times she'd brushed her hair, and felt satisfied that she'd applied just the right amount of lip-gloss and eye shadow.

_I think I'm ready, I think I look good..._

She gave in though and quickly turned around to steal a quick last look, adjusting her cream shawl a little.

"You look fine," Jason murmured to her from where he was hurriedly styling his hair at the basin. He was already dressed in a dark gray suit and maroon shirt, and Kimberly had spent the last half an hour teasing him about how 'cute' he looked.

"I don't want to look fine- I want to look great," she commented.

He stood up and turned around to face her. "You look great," he rephrased, although she could tell he was forcing the comment in the hope to ease her as opposed to it being a genuine compliment.

She smiled anyway. "Really?" She asked sweetly.

He sighed. "Yes," he stated in a long, drawn out comment, "Come on, let's go."

They wondered out towards the living room, and Kimberly entered into the open living area first, coming to a sudden stop as an unexpected flash of light surprised her.

"Mom!" Jason exclaimed, "You might want to give us some warning before you start sticking the camera in our faces..."

"Come on, come in," His mother motioned with her hand, "Oh my gosh, you both look so great! Kimberly, you look so pretty and my my Jason, you look so handsome..."

"Good God," Jason muttered quietly in Kimberly's ear.

She giggled and folded her arm around Jason's waist as he did the same, the two of them posing for what felt like one hundred photos before his mother finally rushed them into the car and on their way to the school.

"So, you both must be so excited about tonight," Kath chattered away from the driver's seat, "Are you sure you're not going to be cold tonight, Kim?"

Kimberly shook her head. Inside she knew that she would probably freeze to death, but she figured it was a worthwhile sacrifice in her effort to look as good as possible.

"Where are your dates meeting you?" Kath asked, peering at them through the rear view mirror.

"Inside," Jason replied rather abruptly.

"Yeah, we're meeting them inside," Kimberly backed him up.

"That's a pity, I was hoping to get some photos..."

Kimberly stifled a giggle and exchanged a quick look with Jason.

"So, how many students are attending the dance?" Kath continued as the drove into the street leading to their school.

"Uh, it was open to all the grades, but it's mostly just for the freshman and sophomore students as it's raising funds for the sophomore football camp they have each year..." Kimberly explained.

They pulled up to the front of the gymnasium, and Kimberly stared out at the small groups of teenagers flocking towards the main entrance. Girls were wearing long, flowing gowns of every shade of the color spectrum while boys she'd never seen in anything other than sweatpants were dressed in smart tuxedos and suits.

"You two have everything?" Kath asked as the two teenagers immediately undid their seatbelts and slid across to get out of the car.

"Yeah, we're right," Kimberly promised her, "We'll see you at ten o'clock."

"Oh, before you-."

"Look after each other and have fun," Kimberly and Jason both chimed in in unison, reciting Kath's trademark parting comment to them.

They waved a quick goodbye and started for the entrance of the gymnasium, waiting in a long queue before they were able to get inside.

"Wow, it looks so great in here!" Kimberly gushed to Jason as they finally squeezed themselves into the dimmed gymnasium.

The roof had been decorated with balloons and streamers, and there were long serving tables to one side with bowls of punch and as assortment of snacks. Kimberly glanced around at the large gathering of students that were already spread around the large complex, before she finally spotted some familiar faces up ahead.

"Hey guys!" Kimberly greeted, as she and Jason walked up to Zack, Angela, Billy and his date Beth.

Zack looked great, with his recently trimmed hair. He was wearing a black suit, but in true 'Zack style', his shirt was loud and bold, colorful patterns creeping from underneath his dark jacket. Kimberly thought Billy looked particularly great in his neat outfit, noticing that he had tried to ruffle his hair a little in a way that Kimberly had always liked.

"Hey, you two are looking fine!" Zack commented with a toothy smile.

Kimberly ducked her head, and smiled a thanks, her forehead creasing as she noticed Angela appeared to look out of sorts.

_She looks sick_, Kimberly thought to herself, _she doesn't look well at all..._

Apparently Jason picked up on Angela's sickly appearance as well. "Are you okay, Angela?" He asked, "You look kinda sick..."

She shrugged bleakly and sighed, before motioning a lazy hand Zack's way. "Zack and I had a hotdog for dinner, I think it's made me sick…"

"Aw come on Ange, I'll get you some punch, that'll make you feel better," Zack suggested with a hopeful smile.

Angela scrunched her face up. "No thank you, Zack, I certainly don't feel like any punch right now..." she muttered.

"Have you guys seen Trini?" Kimberly asked, as she looked around quickly for her best friend. "I haven't seen her yet, and she didn't tell me where she'd meet me."

Billy shook his head. "No, I don't think she's arrived yet," he replied.

"Hey, you're looking especially pretty tonight," Daniel's husky voice reached to her, as the football player suddenly appeared behind her.

"Hey Daniel!" She greeted.

She quickly ran her eyes up and down him; _he looks so cute in that suit..._

She smiled at him and before she could stop him, he grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the others, taking her deeper and deeper into the mass on the dance floor.

* * *

Trini walked into the dance with a slightly apprehensive step, not surprised to see the dance floor already crowded with teenagers swaying to the popular dance music. Her parents had dropped her to the dance at least twenty minutes after it was due to begin, but in a way Trini was at least grateful that the guests in the hall were too busy to notice her walking in on her own.

As she made her way closer to the makeshift dance floor, she was even more thankful for her timing, for everywhere she turned, she saw couples and lovesick teenagers dancing, making out or embracing each other. At least it appeared that the event was a hit, and the fundraising would do wonders for the school, but Trini knew she'd probably be the only one there that didn't have anyone to be with, and that was both embarrassing and a little hurting.

She eventually spotted her friends on the dance floor and a brief smile graced her face as she noticed Billy and Jason dancing with girls for the first time in her life.

_Billy looks really comfortable_, she thought as she watched him dance with his date, Beth. The happiness on the faces of her friends was at least enough to distract her from thinking about how lonely she was, and she moved on in the hope of finding her best friend somewhere in the crowd.

She exhaled a slightly amused breath as she quickly discovered Kimberly in the far corner, dancing in the solid arms of her dream date. As expected, her friend was staring dreamingly into his eyes as they swayed to the love song, but Trini was a little surprised that she was allowing the older boy to hold her so intimately around the waist.

_I hope that Kimberly's okay with that_, she thought to herself, but she quickly dismissed her thought, knowing that Kimberly would never do anything she didn't feel comfortable with.

"Hey Trini!"

Trini turned around as she heard her name called from somewhere behind her, smiling with relief as she spotted Zack near the punch table alone.

_At least there's someone to talk to, _she thought as she approached her African American friend.

"You made it, girl, I was starting to wonder where you were," he commented, as he passed her a cup of fruit drink.

She shrugged. "My parents dropped me off late," she explained, "Where's Angela?"

He offered her a half smile, and Trini noticed the change in his tone as he began to speak. "Oh, she's not well...she went to the ladies, she's been feeling sick all night," he explained, sounding a little deflated.

"Oh no, that's not good," Trini commented with concern.

"Yeah, I'm sure she'll be okay...she kinda wanted me to leave her be, so that's what I'm doing," he continued and put his cup down on the serving table, before motioning back out towards the dance floor. "You wanna dance?" He asked her.

Trini nodded and extended her hand, but withdrew her arm as she noticed Angela approach them. "Angela's back," Trini announced, and stepped back as Zack quickly attended to his girlfriend.

Trini turned around, and spotted Jason sitting on one of the temporary benches at the side of the dance floor, and strolled over to her lonesome friend.

"Hey, how's your night been?" Trini asked him as she sat down beside him.

He looked at her, surprised to see her. "Hey, I was wondering where you got to..." He said.

"I was talking with Zack," she explained, "But I noticed you were by yourself."

He nodded, and leaned his elbows on his knees. "Karla went to the ladies," he told her, "I think she went with about five of her friends..." he chuckled quietly and Trini smiled at him. "Why do girls go to the bathroom with their friends?" He asked in seeming bewilderment.

Trini smiled again. "It's just an excuse," she explained to him, "They usually go to swap gossip and to touch up their makeup."

They both leaned back as a couple making out in full view of the crowd tripped and almost fell into them.

Trini rolled her eyes and moved closer to Jason, "What's with all the...kissing and stuff tonight?"

He shook his head. "I have no idea...it's like everyone thinks that just because the lights are dim, that no one can see them or something."

"Kimberly seemed happy," Trini said, thinking of the bliss-filled smile on her best friend's face.

Jason scoffed. "Yeah, so did that Daniel guy," he replied dryly.

"You don't have to be like that," Trini said to him gently, placing a hand on his shoulder, "She's just having fun...plus, it was only dancing, it's not like it was anything else."

"It doesn't bother me," he quickly tried to assure her while he avoided her gaze, "She can take care of herself."

Trini noted the seriousness in his tone and resisted the urge to tease him further. She instead looked in the direction that she'd last seen Kimberly, noticing that she was nowhere to be seen on dance floor. "I wonder where Kim is now?"

"Probably gone to get something to eat..." Jason replied. "Hey, you wanna dance?"

Trini eyed him thoughtfully and then quickly shook her head as she stood up. "Actually, I need to go to the bathroom," she replied with a small smile.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the ladies bathroom, Kimberly was busy touching up her hair after Daniel excused himself from the dance floor, telling her he needed to get ready to do some announcements. She felt it was good timing, though, as they'd been dancing non-stop since the night began and she knew without a doubt that her hair was in a major need of readjustments.

She smiled as she thought about the last few hours. She enjoyed being with Daniel, and enjoyed being close to him. He was sincere in the way he spoke to her, and even though she barely knew him intimately, she felt there was a chance that he might ask her to be his girlfriend.

_Okay, don't get too ahead of yourself_, she tried to tell herself,_ it's only your first date, and it's not like you really know him or anything_.

She smiled at herself in the mirror and then quickly headed for the door, hoping to go and find her dreamy date. He'd told her he was meeting up with the committee at the back of the stage before announcing some prizes, and she thought she could casually venture that way and find him.

She stepped out into the hallway, starting towards the door to the backstage area, when she suddenly heard a strange, moaning noise from behind what appeared to be a closet door.

_I wonder what that noise is?_ She thought and tiptoed over to the closed door in question. She hesitated for a moment, feeling a little guilty, and then slowly turned the handle and pulled open the rickety door.

"What the..." Noise barely escaped her lips as she stared wide eyed at her date barely clothed, his arms twisted around the torso of none other than Karla Portman.

The longing moans and feverish kiss continued, clearly showing Kimberly that neither of the duo before her had even noticed she had sprung them. She scrunched her face up, hurt flaring in her eyes.

"Hello?" She huffed angrily, her bitter interruption finally getting their attention. Daniel's head flung around, however there was a complete absence of guilt in his eyes, as he appeared to be more annoyed than anything else.

She shook her head disinterested, and spun around, heading straight for the bathroom. Kimberly could hear him call out her name, but she ignored his helpless cry and stormed through the swinging door, pacing for the first available stall. She slammed the stall door shut and flopped down on the seat of the toilet as she simultaneously dropped her face in her hands.

_This is so stupid, why am I upset?_ Tears were unavoidable, and she felt them well in her eyes as she thought about what she'd just witnessed. She knew it was clearly obvious before the incident in the closet that the charming footballer was not her boyfriend, nor did he have any binding loyalty to her, but she was still hurt.

_Because I wanted to kiss him...I wanted to kiss him, but I wasn't ready...Obviously he found someone who was...I knew that Karla girl liked him, I saw the way she was looking at him at the Youth Center! Argh, she probably only asked Jason out in the first place to get closer to Daniel! _

She sniffled, and reached for some toilet paper as she tried to compose herself.

_What am I going to do? I can't stay in here forever...but I don't want to go out there and I don't want to see him. I'm so embarrassed; I hope no one else knows what happened. I probably look terrible now...and what do I tell Jason? Do I tell him that his date was busy kissing mine in the janitor's closet?_

She suddenly scrunched her face up as she heard an awful noise from one of the nearby stalls.

_Is that someone being sick? That's so gross..._She sighed, but narrowed her gaze as she heard a familiar voice. She stood up and slowly opened the door to her stall, rocking back as she nearly collided with her best friend.

"Kim!" Trini exclaimed surprised, "W-what are you..." she pulled back a little, eyeing her carefully. "Are you okay?"

Kimberly nodded, hoping to avoid the subject of why she had mascara streaked down both her cheeks. "Yeah, I'm fine," she replied in a calm voice, "What are you doing in here?" She asked, hoping to change the topic.

"I was actually here to use the bathroom," Trini explained, "But then I heard Angela in here, she's not well...what were you doing in there?" She motioned to the stall.

Kimberly shrugged, but couldn't hide her sad smile. "Just getting some fresh air..." She answered, as she glanced in the mirror and removed the mascara that had begun to dry on her cheeks.

Trini placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Well, I'm going to make sure that Angela's okay, I'll meet you near the dance floor?"

Kimberly nodded and headed reluctantly towards the exit of the bathroom. She didn't have a plan, but hoped that she could maybe escape to some secluded area where no one could find her until the detested dance was over.

She pushed through the swinging door, coming to a stop as she came face to face with Daniel, Jason, Billy and Zack. She darted her eyes away, but she knew that her sadness and embarrassment were written clearly on her face.

Jason frowned as soon as he saw her. "You okay?" He asked her, the concern evident in his tone.

She shrugged it off. "Yeah, I'm fine, I just need some air," she muttered quickly, as she spun around and walked in the direction of the nearest exit.

* * *

Kimberly wrapped her arms around her body tightly as she sat rigidly on the cold, metal bench beneath the clear winter sky above. She knew she'd probably get in an immense amount of trouble for leaving the building without permission, but she was too dejected and embarrassed to think about such consequences. The biting air pierced her previously flushed cheeks, and she welcomed it, hoping that her concern about freezing to death would override all her other turbulent emotions.

She jumped as she heard a noise behind her, and she started to panic as dramatic thoughts of her being dragged through the gym by a teacher to call Jason's parents' to come and collect her rushed through her mind.

_Great, what a night_...She took a deep breath and turned her head apprehensively, but her presumptuous dread eased as she saw that it was Zack who was approaching her.

_I wasn't expecting him to come and find me..._ She thought that out of them all that it would have been Jason to chase after her, and the surprise left her feeling unsure as to what she would say to her African American friend after she'd awkwardly ran off on the group of boys back inside the complex.

"Hey girl, you trying to turn into a Popsicle out here or something?" He commented, as he dropped down on the bench beside her. He took his suit jacket off and draped it around her shoulders, and she offered him a small smile of thanks in return.

Her forced grin quickly lapsed back into its state of misery, however and Zack instantly picked up on it. "What's with the sad face?" He asked her.

She shrugged. "I don't really wanna talk about it..." she admitted quietly. She was feeling far too embarrassed to talk to Zack about how she felt, although she was pretty sure the entire incident had already spread to everyone in the gymnasium.

"Oh," He held the word as if to emphasize it. "It's like that, is it?"

She nodded and tucked her hair behind her ear. She'd been allowing the dark tresses to shield her face, abashed by how she probably looked after crying like a baby, but she knew she didn't have to worry about her appearance in front of her close friend.

"How's Angela?" She finally asked him after a moment of silence passed.

"She's not too good," Zack admitted, and Kimberly could tell that Zack also seemed deflated. "She's with the nurse right now, her mom's on her way to pick her up. She didn't want me to stay with her...I think she's embarrassed or something..."

Kimberly placed a hand of tenderness on his leg. "So we're both desperate and dateless now..." she murmured, her sentence trailing off as her two best friends appeared from out of the shadows and wondered over to where her and Zack were seated.

"What are you guys doing out here, it's freezing," Jason commented, as he wrapped his arms around him and pretended to tremble in an effort to further his point. "Come on, come inside…" He tried to reason as he stopped before them.

Kimberly shook her head defiantly, and looked down at the ground. "No, I'm okay, I think I'll stay here...there's only like an hour left until this night is over..."

"Everyone is wondering where you are…"

"So…"

She heard Jason sigh and he squeezed down on the spare area of bench beside her, while Trini sat down on his lap. Kimberly glanced towards them, noticing they were mocking her sulking, and she felt the corners of her lips slightly twinge upwards in mild amusement.

"You guys kill me, you know? Can't I even get a moment to be sad on my own?" She tried to sound serious, but she knew she was failing.

Trini shook her head. "No, you did that in the bathroom," she reminded her gently.

"This has been the worst dance ever," Kimberly murmured, "I think I'm over guys forever..."

She caught her two male friends exchange an obvious look that screamed 'Yeah right', and she punched them both lightly.

Trini laughed slightly and took the moment of good humor to try to lift Kimberly's spirits. "Come on Kim, he is not worth getting yourself upset about…who cares about Daniel? You look great tonight, and if he would rather spend it with someone else, then too bad for him," Trini said.

Kimberly smiled despite herself, and leant her head against Zack's shoulder. _I have the best friends in the world...How is it that they can always manage to turn my mind around so easily?_

"Look, let's just go inside and dance or something," Jason said to her, before offering her a pleading look. "As much I care about you Kim, I don't wish to freeze out here to try to prove a point that this night completely sucked..."

"Yeah, but it's not so bad being desperate and dateless if all your closest friends are desperate and dateless too," Trini reasoned.

Kimberly nodded, knowing that she didn't have a choice. "Okay," she gave in and Zack squeezed her arm gratefully. Her two male friends pulled her up and they all linked arms as they quietly made their way back towards the dance.

* * *

"...so, I don't know where he's gone now, but we haven't seen him or Karla since we came back."

Billy nodded as Trini finished her relay of the events that had taken place between their friends.

"I must admit I felt an uncomfortable feeling towards Daniel, especially when I witnessed him at the Youth Center earlier this week. I suspected Jason's date was rather interested in him, and I received the feeling that he did not perhaps have the same feelings of loyalty towards Kim that she may have deserved," he explained to Trini, "I was going to share my concerns with Jason, but I didn't know whether it was my place…"

"Billy, it's okay…it's not your fault," Trini assured her friend. She was surprised by what he was telling her, but she knew that Billy wasn't responsible for the events that occurred at the dance. Especially, as Trini now believed that Karla had only asked to go with Jason, so she could get close to Kimberly's date in the first place.

His eyes looked slightly comforted. "I am relieved, however, that everyone appears to be in higher spirits now," he observed.

Trini nodded, and smiled to herself in relief as she and Billy danced to their third song together. After herself, Zack, Jason and Kimberly had returned to the warmth of the gymnasium, they'd instantly headed to the dance floor and it seemed that Kimberly at least had temporarily left her sorrow outside. Trini had spotted Billy standing on his own, and took the chance to spend some time with her close friend and filled him in on the confusing events that had taken place at the dance that night.

Billy smiled, and motioned towards where Zack was dancing away with Kimberly. "Zack seems to have the best moves on the dance floor," Billy marveled.

"Yes, if anyone can get the crowd to move, it's definitely him," Trini agreed. "So when will Beth be getting back?"

Billy shrugged. "She informed me that as she was part of the committee for tonight, she had quite a bit of work to do behind the scenes, especially now that Daniel has disappeared" he replied, "She may not get the opportunity to return."

_How ironic, _Trini thought to herself as she thought about the turn of events that night. All her friends had become separated from their dates in a chain of circumstances that seemed more than a little strange to Trini.

"Hey Billy, you've really got some moves going on!" Kimberly gushed lightheartedly as they all moved into a circle and danced on the spot together.

Billy smiled genuinely. "Thank you, Kimberly," he commented and Trini felt happy inside that her friend seemed a lot more self-confident nowadays.

"See, this night hasn't turned out so bad," Trini said, looking at her best friend.

Kimberly shrugged, but she was smiling and Trini knew she was genuinely enjoying herself. "Yeah, you guys were right, like always," Kimberly replied, "Thanks so much for rescuing me from the cold..."

"That's what friends are for, Kimmie," Zack pointed out.

"Oh look, it's the dweebs dancing with the dweebs," Bulks snide remark came from behind Trini, "What's the matter, doesn't anybody want to date a bunch of dorks?"

Trini rolled her eyes, and looked briefly over her shoulder. She almost choked as she realized that both Bulk and Skull were dancing in the arms of two girls, but concealed her shock with a wry smile. "We're having a great night just the way we are," she replied.

"Yeah, so why don't you guys stay away so it stays that way," Kimberly commented dryly.

"Well, I'll have you know Kimberly that I was going to give you the chance to dance with me tonight," Bulk began smugly, "But, I guess I'll just have to ask Trini instead..."

Trini puckered her lips to the side of her face and shook her head as Billy placed a gentle arm on her shoulder. "I think Trini would rather stay dancing with us dweebs," he told Bulk calmly.

Bulk pulled a face and then clumsily spun his date away from them. Trini stifled a laugh, but turned around quickly as she heard commotion from behind her. Her eyes fell on Kimberly, who was standing with her hands on her hips, daggers in her eyes directed towards Daniel Ferguson who was glaring back at her equally distastefully.

"I've been looking for you everywhere, Kimberly! Jesus, are you trying to get my ass kicked off the football team or something? You and I have to get on stage and do our presentation!" He spoke to her, his forehead creased.

She scoffed bitterly. "You must be kidding!" She practically snapped, "Gees, I'm surprised to even see you back in here! What? Did you need a moment to get some air?"

"Gees, is this about the kiss? Seriously, let is go, I don't have to get your permission to do what I want," he stated to her, as he took a step towards her. "I could have asked any girl to come with me tonight, but instead I chose you..." He sniggered, "I figured the fact that you spend all your time around boys that you'd be a pro at this all, but I guess it was my mistake in picking a little girl who wasn't-."

"Look, she doesn't want to be with you, okay?" Jason finally stepped in, moving himself in between the two feuding teenagers, "Just leave her alone."

Daniel moved his glare towards the younger teenager. "What's the matter, karate kid, you gonna kick my ass because you can't keep your own date happy?" He sneered. "Maybe you should just stick to holding hands with your friends, because it's obvious that's the only thing that you're all capable of doing."

Kimberly pushed back in front of Jason, "And maybe _you _should consider dropping out of the football team, it's obvious that you've taken a few too many hits to the head!" She jibbed dryly.

_Kim, don't push it, _Trini thought uneasily to herself, sensing that the football star was burning with increasing anger towards her. He cocked his head in response to her bitter comment, and inched towards Jason, the moment stopped when a teacher suddenly appeared from out of nowhere.

_Thank goodness..._

"What is going on here?" Mr. Evans asked, eyeing all of the teenagers suspiciously. "Mr. Ferguson, Mr. Caplan has been looking for you for the past half an hour!"

Kimberly blinked and Daniel immediately stepped back, throwing her a dismissive hand, before turning and heading away from the dance floor. Trini watched as he angrily weaved his way among small clusters of students, her eyes following in his direction until she spotted a familiar face appear up ahead.

"Hey Angela!" Zack called out, as they all began towards Zack's date.

They came to a sudden stop though as out of nowhere, Angela buckled forwards, and threw up all over Daniel who was attempting to make a hasty escape through the side exit. Trini's jaw dropped open, as students all around them either shrieked or laughed, the noise from the hall rising to an unbearable level.

Trini didn't stop, however, and continued to Angela who stared back at her with tears in her eyes. "Are you okay, Angela?" Trini asked her uneasily.

Trini was unable to look in the direction of Daniel. He instantly began yelling profanities at the top of his lungs before teachers swarmed in on their end of the hall.

"Just move now, Trini, we'll take care of this," Mrs. Appleby told Trini quickly, before she felt herself being pushed away and back to the crowd. She sighed resignedly, and turned back to her friends.

"Is Angela going to be okay?" Kimberly asked, her eyes still widened in horror.

Billy nodded. "The teachers will take good care of her," he tried to assure them.

Trini nearly scoffed in disbelief when as fast as the click of a finger, the crowd of students flocked back to the dance floor and returned to their dancing, as if nothing had happened.

"Looks like the dance is continuing," she commented with disbelief.

"Yeah, even with the main attraction out of order," Jason added.

Kimberly raised an eyebrow. "Even if I feel slightly sorry for him, I'm calling it karma," she stated.

"Trini?"

Trini turned to her left as a soft, husky voice gently spoke her name. She blinked at the boy, recognizing him from her mathematics class, and smiled at him gently.

"Yes?"

"Uh um, I was wondering if you'd like to dance?" He asked, "I'm Ryan, you know, from your math's class. I sit two rows behind you-."

"I know who you are," she quickly assured him with a smile, before nodding her head. "Yes, I'd like to dance with you."

She followed Ryan out towards the dance floor, peering over at her friends quickly and exchanging a quick look with Kimberly before she returned her attention back to her dance partner.

_What a night, _Trini thought as they began to sway to the music together, _Who would have thought that I would have ended up with a date, while all my friends ended up without theirs! _

Trini knew that all along her feelings had been true, and that she wouldn't ever trade her friends for anything or anyone. Not even the hottest jock at school, the girl of your dreams or a regular partner always ensured the perfect night, and at least Trini knew for sure now that all she really needed to do to make the perfect night, was to be herself.

And to keep her best friends close by in case of an emergency!

---

**Next in Episode Six: 'Stranger in the Midst'-** _Jason achieves something remarkable, but is the compromise he makes with an unlikely partner worth it? And who is the boy with dark eyes in the crowd that catches Jason's attention?_

_A/N#2 - Just a reminder to readers, if you feel I haven't explored a certain storyline enough, etc, fear not- I will as the series progresses. The storylines aren't contained to just the individual 'episodes' or 'chapters'. Anyway, don't forget to review, any comment makes a difference!_


	7. Ep6: Stranger in the Midst

**REBIRTH OF THE LEGACY**

By Chanelle Summer

**Stranger in the Midst – Episode 6**

_A/N – Thanks for all your reviews! **ReganX**- It's nice to meet you! Thanks for all the very thorough reviews; they were of an immense help to me. I look forward to reading more of your reviews in the future. And to everyone else, thanks for sharing your thoughts and reflections. I like to know what people are taking away from each of the chapters, good and bad. Anyway, this episode is shorter than the others…no reason for that, it just is. Actually, this episode is pretty laid back, but I don't want to say it is a filler episode (because that sounds very lame). There are some important moments in it. The episode following this one is a big and important one, so I guess this chapter is like a calm before a storm._

* * *

_Jason's achievements in karate reach amazing new heights, but he'll have his friend's to thank when an amazing opportunity comes his way. When he's forced to be paired up with an unlikely partner for an important martial arts display, what deal will he have to make as a compromise? And who is the mysterious boy in the crowd that catches Jason's attention?... _

**_Thursday 20th of January 1994 _**

**_Angel Grove Youth Center_**

"Good afternoon class," Master Torrins announced, as his Thursday afternoon karate class finished up, and huddled around the elderly martial arts instructor.

Jason patted his forehead with his towel, and then lowered his hand. He was keen to hear the special announcement their teacher had announced he would be making to the class.

"What do you think he's gonna say?" Zack whispered into his ear.

Jason shrugged, but didn't answer. He had a faint idea on what it would be, but he didn't want to get into a discussion about it at that moment.

"As you all will know, this is my final class with you all," the Asian man announced, "However, I have yet to announce my replacement. Now, I would like to introduce you to him, and before I bring him forth, I would like to say that I feel this individual has the potential to bring you all to greater heights then you have so far achieved..."

_He must be really good_, Jason thought to himself. He trusted his master's instincts and knew the elderly man would have picked their new instructor well. After three years training with Master Torrins, Jason was well aware just how seriously he took teaching.

"...Jason!"

Jason blinked as he heard his name, and then looked around for their new instructor called 'Jason'. He frowned when Zack broke into a toothy grin, and Master Torrins stepped towards him, placing his hands gently on his bare shoulders.

"I know you will do me proud," he told Jason.

Jason could not help but smile as his fellow students broke into a burst of cheering and applause.

He was unable to find the words. He never suspected that his long-time instructor would have handed his reigns down to one of his students, let alone Jason himself. Jason had always enjoyed the opportunity to help out when he could, knowing that he was well beyond most of his class in his skill level, but to have the opportunity to teach his own class was something of a dream.

After a brief speech, and excited chatter about an important, upcoming karate display, the class broke apart and Jason was left absorbing the unexpected events that had taken place that afternoon.

He was standing deep in thought when Zack and Trini jumped in front of him, their cheery exteriors making him smile.

"So, Master Scott, who will your partner be for the display?" Zack asked him light heartedly.

"Zack and I just decided to partner up, as Master Torrins said they were keen for us to show as many female-male pairings as possible," Trini added, her explanation obviously to do with the well publicized martial arts exhibition.

Jason pursed his lips. "Trini, you're the only girl in our Thursday class," he reminded his Asian friend, before sighing, "I have no idea who I'm going to pair up with."

He was disappointed; he would have liked to have the opportunity to work with Trini.

"What about Kimberly?" Zack suggested, as he took a sip of water from his drink bottle.

Jason stared at him for a moment, trying to assess whether his friend's suggestion was made in humor. "I don't think Kimberly would want to," Jason finally told him seriously.

"Yeah, but she's been in some of our weekend classes," Zack pointed out, "And what she doesn't know, surely that black belt dude she lives with could fill her in," he added with a wink.

Jason sighed and looked up towards the juice bar, where he could see a huddle of teenage girls sitting in the far corner. He could see Kimberly strumming along on her guitar, her quiet but confident voice drifting through the center. He looked again back at Trini and Zack and then reluctantly headed towards the group of girls.

_I can just ask her, I'm sure she'll say no_, he thought to himself.

To be honest, he hoped that she would say yes, because it would make things a lot easier for him, but he knew Kimberly too well and knew that competing in martial arts exhibitions was not exactly her cup of tea.

He looked around slightly embarrassed as her two friends leaned towards each other and giggled, an amused twinkle in their eyes sneaking Jason's away. Jason knew the two girls from school, but he was still slightly surprised to see Kimberly spending time with them.

He ignored their whispering, and instead looked directly at Kimberly. "Uh, Kim, I was wondering if I could talk to you?" he asked her.

She looked up from her music book, and offered him a genuine smile. "Sure," she replied, passing her guitar over to one of the girls before walking away with him.

"So, I wanted to ask you if you were interested in performing in a martial arts display with me in two weeks time?" he began, "It would just be you and I…it's an opportunity to display how well the students in our classes work together."

Kimberly raised her gaze. "Sure, I'd love to help you, but I doubt I'd be good enough," she replied.

He put a quick hand on her arm. "I'd show you everything you need to know," he assured her, squeezing her arm. "Please say yes."

She offered him a sly smile. "Okay, sure," she replied, before biting her lip. "But only on one condition..."

"Anything," he quickly cut in, before he could think about what he was saying.

"Our music group is putting on a performance at the annual music spectacular," she began, "We have our act pretty well practiced, but we're really hoping to get a guy to join us..."

He frowned, lowering his hand from her arm. "I'm not getting on stage and singing, Kimberly," he warned her.

"Fine, then I'm afraid I will be too busy to help you with your karate thing," she replied pointedly.

Jason was about to protest, when he felt Zack's arm slump around his shoulder. "So Kimberly, you gonna kung fu with Master Jason here?" he asked her.

"Sorry Zack, unfortunately Jason cannot spare his services to our music group..."

Jason groaned as Zack slapped him on the arm. "Are you kidding Jase? You're turning down the chance to spend time with a group of girls!" he exclaimed, before leaning into Jason's ear. "Some of them are hotties, check out that Sally girl..." he whispered.

Jason shoveled Zack off him and stared at Kimberly resignedly. "Fine, I'll do it," he agreed.

* * *

**_Monday 24th of January, 1994_**

**_Angel Grove Youth Center _**

The following Monday, Zack was busy with Trini at the Youth Center after school, working on perfecting their sparring routine for the highly anticipated Martial Arts exhibition. He was pumped, and looking forward to showing off his skills, knowing that his partner was more than confident in pulling off a flawless display.

"So, I think that maybe we could tie in some of that third exercise we did?" Trini suggested as the two teenagers stood close together.

Zack nodded, and then moved towards her with his right arm, Trini instantly raising her right arm to block his attack, before she ducked and swing her leg around. Her low attack caught him off guard, and he fell on the ground, slightly embarrassed that he'd lost his concentration.

"Clap, clap for the handicapped," Bulk's sneering voice came from behind, and Zack gathered himself to his feet in time to confront the pudgy troublemaker.

"Bulk, it's not nice to call people that," Trini pointed out seriously.

Bulk rolled his eyes at her and then sniggered. "Practice all you like, it's not like anyone is gonna want to actually watch your stupid kung-fu show," he stated, throwing a grin to Skull who was standing behind him. "After all, the people that do hang around with you seem to only wanna barf!"

Zack sighed and was about to tell the two boys to leave them alone, when Bulk suddenly cocked his head.

"Aw, would you look at that," he marveled, his eyes tickling in the direction of the juice bar.

Zack followed his gaze, concealing a smile of his own as he noticed what had caught Bulk's attention. He could see Jason obviously deep in concentration in the juice bar as he fumbled his way through a music exercise of some sort.

"Look at Mr. Kung-fu, Skull," Bulk muttered, extending a hand in Jason's direction, "Trying to play music with a bunch of girls!"

Zack wasn't about to let Bulk get away with teasing his best friend. "Yeah, well if you ask me, Jason's the smart one," Zack offered, "I mean, Sally, Annette and Fiona are pretty girls…"

Bulk scrunched his face thoughtfully, and then scoffed, before finally walking away. Zack watched him drag his skinny sidekick behind him, and his dark eyes followed in their direction until his gaze fell once again on Jason.

This time, Zack failed to stifle his snigger as he watched his muscle-laden friend sandwiched in between two of the girls, both of the pretty teenagers clearly besotted with the sight of him doing something considered 'sensitive'.

"Well, I think we're done for today," Kimberly announced to her friends, and they all nodded and fumbled around as they packed up their equipment.

"You sounded really good today," Zack heard one of the girls comment to Jason.

Her other friend nodded. "It's so nice to find a nice guy who will be part of our group," she added with a sickly-sweet smile.

Clearly embarrassed, Jason barely managed a grunt in appreciation, before he and Kimberly pulled away from the group and headed towards the working mats below.

"You were looking cute back there," Zack teased his friend, side stepping a punch in retaliation.

Trini giggled and motioned to Kimberly, "How is Jason going?"

Kimberly nodded as she pulled her sweater off to reveal a baby pink colored crop top. "He's doing okay," she replied, "However, in future he should probably stick to tasks that require muscles-."

"Which is why I think it's a bad idea about me singing," Jason cut in.

"Yeah, but all the girls think you're so cute," Zack cooed mockingly.

Jason just shook his head, and motioned for Kimberly to stand in front of him.

"How's your preparation going for the display?" Zack asked as they both moved into some simple stretching, "After all, you must be getting a ton of after hours practice in."

Kimberly looked up. "We've hardly practiced," she admitted, "With the music spectacular and my gymnastics meet on Saturday, there hasn't been any time."

"We'll be ready though," Jason quickly added.

Zack draped a casual arm around Trini's shoulder as they watched Jason and Kimberly begin their sparring practice. He wasn't surprised when their first exercises appeared relatively simple, but couldn't help but eye them curiously as their movements became much more difficult in skill level, yet their smoothness never deteriorated. They mirrored each other perfectly, both of them holding their ground during the numerous rounds of fluid movements.

_Since when was Kimberly so good? _He thought to himself surprised.

Kimberly only started attending one class a week a few months before hand, and although she dedicated herself to learning as much as she could, she was certainly one of the least skilled in their class. It wasn't so much the moves she was perfecting that were surprising him, though; it was the fact that both her and Jason were working together like they'd been practicing for years.

"Hey, hey, hey," Zack suddenly interrupted, lifting his hands out in front of him, "I thought you guys said you've hardly practiced?"

Jason shrugged, and cleared his throat. "Yeah, we only started working on it last night."

Trini exchanged a look of disbelief with Zack before gazing towards her best friend. "Kim, you are looking really good!"

Kimberly put her hands on her hips. "Thanks Trini," she smiled, "All though I guess you could say I'm learning from the best."

_

* * *

_

**_Sunday 30th of January, 1994_**

**_The Scott Residence _**

Jason leaned his head against the armrest of the couch, and flicked through numerous channels on the television before he found something that caught his eye. It was Sunday morning, and with no assignments that needed doing, he was free to spend his day unwinding and relaxing before the busy week he had ahead of him at school and at the Youth Center. Normally on a Sunday he'd be practicing his karate, but with Kimberly dedicating so much of her time to other tasks, he thought he'd take the opportunity to rest until she found the time to practice with him.

_Ding! Dong! _

He groaned, and slumped off the couch as heard the doorbell, jogging into the hallway and up to the entrance.

He swung open the door. "Hey guys," he greeted, extending an open hand to them and motioning for them to come in.

Zack was smiling at him more goofily than usual, and Jason tried to suppress his suspicions as to the motivation behind his visit as the three teenagers made their way through to the living room.

"Where's Kim?" Trini asked him, as they dropped down on the comphy seating.

Jason motioned with an outstretched hand behind him to the large window that opened out to their backyard. Kimberly had insisted that she needed to spend an hour or so working on her gymnastics, and he knew she was still busily tumbling about on the grass outside.

"You guys aren't practicing?" Zack asked him.

Jason eyed him dubiously. "What's with all the concern, Zack? It's just a display."

"Nu-uh, it's more than that," Zack told him, removing a cream envelope from his pocket. "Trini and I were at the Youth Center this morning and Ernie had this for you. He said it was from a guy called Tony Garner-."

"Tony Garner!" Jason exclaimed, instantly leaning forward in his seat. "The Tony Garner?"

His friends both nodded, and Jason took the envelope from Zack, eagerly opening it and removing the folded document. His brown eyes skimmed over the typed words, informing him that they had been impressed by a tape he had sent in of him in class, and that due to a large amount of interest, their would be scouts present at the display to watch him perform live.

_If our scouts feel you show potential, you could be chosen as a representative to compete in the national title in March_...Jason's eyes widened as he sucked in each word, disbelieving the promises offered to him on the page before him.

He suddenly looked up, "Is this serious?" he asked, "I never sent any tape in."

Jason watched his friends exchange a quick look. "No, but we did," Trini admitted.

He eyed her shocked. "Seriously? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because we didn't know if you'd do through with it," Trini explained, "When Master Torrins told us about the selection process for the championship, we decided to do this so the scouts would come and check you out."

"What did you send in?"

Zack shrugged, "Just some footage of you in class and then some of you and Kim practicing at the Youth Center."

Jason stood up and threw his arms around them both, pulling back as he heard the back door open. Kimberly walked through, eyeing them curiously as she headed for the fridge.

"Hey guys," she greeted, "Jase, where's Kath?"

Jason looked at her, ignoring her question. "You and I have got some practice to do," he stated simply.

* * *

A few days later, Jason found himself in the serenity of his lonely home and was taking the opportunity to practice on the guitar by himself. He'd tried to rehearse as often as he could, but with the looming music spectacular approaching him in only a matter of days, he knew he had little time to get himself up to some kind of acceptable standard. 

"I can hear you laughing…" he suddenly murmured.

Jason turned his head around as he heard Trini approach him from behind, and he lowered Kimberly's guitar on the grass in front of him. He hadn't heard the doorbell, and felt a little embarrassed that she had heard him attempt to play some music.

His friend smiled at him and shook her head. "Actually, I was smiling because I was thinking that actually sounded the way it's supposed to," she stated.

He sighed slightly as she sat down on the grass in front of him and watched as she picked the instrument up and absentmindedly ran her fingers over the strings.

"So, what are you doing here?" Jason asked her, as he stretched his arms out behind him and leant back.

She looked up and shrugged. "I was here to see Kim," she admitted, sounding slightly guilty, "I forgot she had an extra gymnastics practice."

Jason nodded. "That's why I was trying to practice," he stated and Trini looked at him confused. "I needed to practice this music stuff away from everyone else," he elaborated.

"Oh," Trini nearly whispered. "If you like I can go-."

"No, it's okay," he reassured her. He straightened himself up again and moved the guitar onto his lap. "No matter how many times I practice, I can't get it right."

"Yeah, well don't ask me, I don't understand music either," Trini stated, as she gently flicked a long braid over her shoulder. "My father and mother never played music at home, and now it's as though it's a foreign language or something."

Jason sniggered slightly. "My mom has suddenly has this interest in music and keeps bugging me to play in front of her and dad," he smiled slightly as he thought of a certain occasion the day before. "Kim was singing at dinner yesterday, and she sounded so good…such a showoff, complete Kimberly style. And then dad started singing with her…" he added a groan to the end of his sentence and Trini giggled.

"I can not imagine your dad singing! He looks too big to be a singer!"

"Trust me, he is not a singer!" Jason stated lightheartedly.

"So, what is it that you have to exactly do in this performance?" she asked him, her right hand running idly in the grass beside her.

"I just have to play some backup guitar, I don't know what its called…" he revealed, "And I have to sing some backup stuff during the choruses…the other girls in the group keep saying I'm good, but I don't think I sound good at all."

Trini leant over and slapped him slightly on the knee. "They like you, I can tell. They are all really good, I've heard them in music class. If you only have to play in the background, chances are that no one will hear you anyway…"

"Thanks Trini…" he commented sarcastically.

She slumped her shoulders slightly. "I meant that in a good way…"

He laughed a little at her seriousness. "Whatever, I know that…" he looked over Trini's shoulder and then looked back at her. "Hey, do you wanna maybe spar or something?" he asked her hopefully.

Trini nodded her head with emphasis. "That would be great!" she agreed.

He lowered the guitar on the grass and stood up, glad to leave the music in the background so he could focus on the one thing he knew better than anything else.

* * *

**_Friday 4th February 1994_**

**_Angel Grove High Theatre _**

"You ready?"

Jason kept his eyes ahead of him and nodded weakly, before he felt Kimberly's arm fall across his shoulders. He cast his dread-filled eyes towards her and she giggled slightly at his obvious display of performance anxiety.

_What was I thinking? _

The senior choir had just completed their four-song stint and the eruption of applause after their final performance only made Jason more nervous. He knew from Billy that there were nine hundred students, parents and guests in attendance for the Angel Grove High Annual Music Spectacular, but going by the noise the crowd projected, it sounded more like ten thousand.

He couldn't believe he was actually going through with his deal with Kimberly. He couldn't believe he was actually about to get up on stage and sing in front of his entire school. Despite the fact that his contribution to the performance was largely minute, he was by no means a naturally music person.

And in a matter of five minutes, the whole world would know.

"Jason, we're ready for you," Billy stated, as he stepped up beside him.

Jason remained on the steps at the side of his stage, as he watched his four fellow female band mates finalized their positions.

He glanced at Billy and sighed resignedly. "We can always swap jobs," Jason joked.

Billy adjusted his glasses quickly and then clutched the clipboard in his hands. "Uh-h, I unfortunately doubt I would have the necessary talent to offer such a performance which is why I volunteered for backstage duties-."

"Jase, come on!" Kimberly hissed from where she was standing in her position as head singer of the quintet.

"Good luck," Billy offered, and Jason dragged himself over to his position behind Kimberly.

_Maybe the curtain will get stuck shut-. _

"Oh my gosh, this is totally exciting!" Kimberly whispered to her other friends.

"We are gonna rock!" Annette Satchel exclaimed from her stool behind the keyboard.

"Are you excited Jason?" Sally Barrows asked him from over the opposite side of Kimberly.

All three girls stared at him expectedly and so he offered a tight smile as his response.

"Aw, come on Jase, it's gonna be fun!" Kimberly persuaded him with a playful smile.

Jason didn't respond and instead fixed his concentration on the task ahead.

And within a single moment, the velvet curtains opened and exposed them to the eager audience. Immediately and on cue, bouncy notes floated from the keyboard as Kimberly began to sing, her gentle voice flawlessly projecting the effervescent tune. Jason's mind remained focused, making certain his fingers played the right strings to his guitar and he gave little thought to the backup singing he gave during the chorus.

Then, as soon as it begun, it was over. The audience erupted into a thunder of applause and Jason found himself standing like a stunned rabbit, until Kimberly grabbed his hand and dragged him forward. They all bowed, before the emerald curtains closed just as swiftly as they opened.

"Great work!" Kimberly exclaimed, as she pulled them all into a group hug.

Jason awkwardly stayed in the group embrace for a moment, and then pulled away to catch his breath. It was rather amusing that he felt more out of breath after a music performance then a football game or a martial arts tournament.

But it wasn't that he was tired; it was purely the adrenalin. It was the feeling of pulling something off and completing a new task and actually somewhat enjoying it.

"You were so great out there," Annette praised Jason, as they all made their way down the side stairs.

Jason concealed a blush and slightly shrugged. "You guys are the ones that did great," he corrected.

The other girls separated and walked through the side exit, and Jason and Kimberly continued through the maze at the back of the stage.

"So," Kimberly emphasized the word, as she linked her arm through Jason's. "Did you have fun?"

He smiled slightly. "It was okay," he replied. He certainly was not going to admit to her that he enjoyed himself. She'd get way too much satisfaction from such an admission, or even worse, she'd take it as an opening to ask him to do it again.

He certainly didn't enjoy it that much.

She eyed him thoughtfully as they entered the seating area, and they took two seats in the front corner. The curtains were still closed and Jason guessed that the next performer must have been taking a little longer to set up.

"I meant it, you did really great out there," she whispered into his ear.

Jason wanted to roll his eyes, but he knew she was being sincere and so he quietly thanked her.

"You sounded awesome tonight, you're much better than a lot of the other performances," he told her quietly.

Her eyes twinkled at him and a large smile lit up her face.

Jason had to admit that he liked it when she was so happy. For some reason, it made him feel great, as though her happiness was contagious to him.

"And the next act will be Bulk and Skull!"

Jason tore his eyes away from her smile as the announcement blared through the complex and he raised an eyebrow. The opening stage curtains revealed the pair of wannabe bullies dressed in mock prison outfits, and the crowd immediately broke into sniggers and laughter.

"Ha! Check out their outfits!" Kimberly hooted.

Jason shook his head. "Yeah, now at least I can say compared to those two I did do good!"

* * *

**_Saturday 5th February 1994_**

**_Angel Grove Youth Center _**

Jason walked through the entrance of the Youth Center the following day, taken aback by the mass of people huddled in the main hallway into the center. He knew that the Martial Arts exhibition had been heavily promoted around town, but he never imagined that it would gain the kind of numbers he was seeing.

He made his way into the open area, gazing around at the temporary bleaches that had been set up for the event.

"I wonder who all these people are?" Jason wondered to Zack as they made their way over to their team bench.

"I'm thinking those guys in that stand over there with the clipboards are the scouts," he reasoned, "And if you check out those guys over there, they're from some of the other state schools…"

Jason looked to where Zack had motioned with his eyes, and he recognized the small congregations of uniformed teenagers, the logos on their chests proving a large array of martial arts students had come to watch them.

Jason caught Master Torrins motioning to him from up ahead, and made his way over to his former instructor.

"Good morning, Jason, how are you feeling?"

Jason nodded to prove his confidence. "I'm feeling ready," he replied.

"Oh, there's a young man I would like to introduce you to," the elderly man announced, motioning to a teenager who was standing nearby. Master Torrins called out to the boy, and he turned around, approaching Jason with a polite nod of the head.

Jason nodded back, but felt a strange twinge as he laid his eyes on the tall boy who was obviously a fellow martial artist. He'd never seen him before, yet for reason he felt like he recognized him.

_Maybe he's famous? _That was the only thought that came to Jason's mind.

"Jason, this young man is Thomas Oliver," Master Torrins introduced, "He's the current national reigning champion, presently residing in Los Angeles."

Jason unintentionally stared at him in awe for a moment, before he quickly composed himself and extended a hand. "Hey, I'm Jason."

"Great to meet you, you can call me Tommy," he replied as he firmly shook Jason's hand.

Jason looked away quickly as Zack came up from behind him with a look of dread on his face.

"Jase, something's been stuffed up," Zack whispered to him, handing Jason a sheet of paper.

Jason's eyes quickly scanned the list, a small groan escaping his lips as he realized the blunder Zack was referring to.

"Master, there's been a mix up with the official line up for today," Jason quickly turned to address the elderly man, "They've mixed up our pairings…they have Zack paired with Kimberly, and Trini paired with me…is there any way we can change this?"

Master Torrins carefully took the list from Jason, before shaking his head, "Unfortunately, this line up is binding," he informed Jason. "You must go and prepare yourselves, the display is scheduled to begin in twenty minutes."

Jason sighed and turned back to Zack. "We better go find the girls," Zack suggested.

The two teenagers made their way through a small huddle, eventually spotting Kimberly and Trini stretching on a mat in the corner. Jason recognized that both girls were dressed in matching suits to their 'supposed' partners- Trini wearing yellow, while Kimberly was adorned in red.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready?" Trini asked them with concern as they stopped in front of them.

"Bad news girls," Zack announced, before explaining their predicament to them.

His friend's explanation blurred past his ears as Jason tried to think as quickly as possible how he could perform the display with a brand new partner. It was certainly not something he needed with state scouts with their eyes on him.

"But what are we going to do, we haven't practiced with each other, Zack," Kimberly's voice was stricken, "And what about Jason? Won't this ruin your chances?"

"We're just going to have to do our best," Jason replied, trying to conceal his own doubts. "Zack, stick to the first three exercises, and you just have to follow his lead, Kim."

Kimberly nodded, and Zack placed an arm of encouragement around her shoulder.

"We're a team guys, we can do this!" Trini encouraged, and all Jason could think was that he hoped she was right.

* * *

**_Unknown pov_**

His eyes fell on the display that was taking place on the double layer of blue matting. The numerous pairs of young martial arts students were completing their forth exercise with near flawless execution, but yet he couldn't take his eyes off the one student that caught his eye most of all.

Dressed in red, the teenager clearly knew the movements like an innate ability. He was strong, yet careful; muscular, yet flexible. He could tell the boy was fully focused on the task at hand, not allowing the flashes from cameras or whispered words from the audience to distract him.

His partner moved her tall and lean body with all the right technique. Her dark eyes remained fixed ahead of her, no matter what movement she was expressing. It was as though her unwavering concentration was the power behind her solid combat ability.

Beside them, another boy and girl sparred together. The boy's feet seemed to bounce about beneath him continuously, while his partner moved awkwardly, yet with seeming confidence.

As he watched them, it was clear she was inexperienced, yet there seemed to be something in her eyes that caught his focus. No matter how many times she slipped up, she continued with the exercise, as though there was something clearly motivating her to keep going.

Then as the final display was completed, he watched as the boy in red moved to a bench on the sidelines and wrapped his arms around two of his female teammates. The girl in yellow seemed to be deep in thought, while the brunette in red seemed to be rambling about something to him.

To Jason.

There was something about him. And something about the girl in red, as well. The others were a possibility, also.

He just had a feeling about them.

* * *

Jason rolled his shoulders around as he sat in the metal-framed chair in the slowly emptying juice bar. There was still a lot of chatter in the air following the three hour-long martial arts exhibition, and Jason was still on a high. Even though it was simply an exhibition, he felt as though he'd won a championship. 

He glanced up as he noticed his parents approaching him, and he attempted to straighten himself up in his chair.

"Jason, I've just been paged," his mother explained, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "You don't mind if your father and I head off now?"

Jason shook his head. "Nuh, that's cool, we'll just hang out here for a while anyway," he assured her, as Kimberly and Trini sat down beside him.

His mother smiled gratefully and Jason tried to swipe her away as she leant over to kiss him on the cheek before leaving.

"Aw, that was cute Jase," Zack teased, as feverishly downed a chocolate shake.

Kimberly blew a dramatic breath through her pursed lips and rolled her neck around simultaneously. "I am so pooped," she murmured, her exhausted eyes falling on Trini beside her.

Trini nodded in agreement. "Today was awesome, I can't believe how many people showed up," she mused.

Jason finished his mouthful of slice and nodded his head. "Master Torrins didn't tell us that there was gonna be so many schools coming to watch," he shared, "Hey, did you guys see that guy in the blue uniform? Thomas Oliver was his name, I think."

Kimberly looked at Trini and they both shook their heads. Zack eyed Jason curiously. "Was that the guy you were talking to before we got ready?" he asked.

Jason nodded. "He's the national champion," he stated, "He's the guy to beat, if I get lucky enough to get an invite to this year's championship…"

Kimberly smiled, and leant over to grab a fry off Billy's plate. "Jason," she began, "You are definitely going to get an invite, I mean Angel Grove is hosting it this year…and I don't care how good that guy is, you will totally kick his buns."

Jason chuckled slightly at her encouragement. "Thanks, but I'm not sure if I could a hundred percent agree with you there," he admitted doubtfully.

"Everyone knows how good you are," Trini pointed out, "That's why Master Torrins made you our instructor."

"Jason, I thought I would inform you that I overheard two of the scouts commenting on your first performance," Billy spoke up, "Going by their annotations, they appeared to be remarkably impressed by your technique."

"Wow, Jase, that's great!" Trini praised with a smile.

Jason smiled slightly and shrugged. "I hope that's a good sign," was all he said. He didn't want to get his hopes up, no matter how excited his friends were for him.

The teenagers settled into a brief moment of silence, before a noise from the small television sitting on the juice counter caught Jason's attention. He peered at the undersized screen with interest, squinting his eyes as he tried to listen to the news reporter's words'.

"Hey, you guys hear that?" Jason murmured, as his eyes remained in the direction of the screen.

Zack and Billy both followed his gaze, and the two girls turned around to watch as footage from outer space flashed across the screen.

"What are they saying?" Kimberly asked, as she turned around to look at Billy.

Billy shrugged. "I didn't hear the beginning of the report," he admitted.

"They were saying that they think they may have found extraterrestrial evidence on the current space expedition," Jason explained with a sly smile.

Kimberly rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like as if," she stated, sharing an amused smile with Zack, "I mean, if aliens existed all this time, they totally would have known by now."

"Actually, Kim, by extraterrestrial, they may be referring to ancient evidence, perhaps relating to some kind of past existence. After all, we are only learning more about the surrounding planets in very small doses," Billy explained.

Kimberly nodded, but her attention suddenly seemed elsewhere and Jason tried to work out what she was looking at.

"Earth to Kimberly?" Zack asked, waving a hand in front of her face.

Kimberly smiled idly and leaned over to whisper into Trini's ear. Jason watched with amusement, as Trini seemed to blush.

"Oh, Kim," Trini whispered at her, "I don't think so."

"He obviously does," Kimberly pointed out, eyeing her best friend intently.

"Girls," Zack muttered impatiently, taking a long, slurping drink from his tall glass.

"Speaking of girls, I saw Angela today," Trini mentioned to Zack, seemingly ignoring whatever Kimberly was trying to pester her about.

Zack almost flinched in his chair. "What'd she say?" he asked, failing at his attempt to sound casual.

"Not much," Trini replied, "It was when you were warming up with Kim…She was talking to her friend Veronica…I think she said something like 'does he ever not spend time with them'."

Zack and Jason both frowned. "What does that mean?" Jason wondered.

Zack cleared his throat and shrugged. "Beats me," he stated, "Man, she is so hot and cold…I mean, it wasn't my fault that the Winter Ball went so bad, but she still acts like it was. Why would she even think I would try to poison her?"

Jason was about to tease his friend, when he decided against it, sensing Zack was not in the mood to joke about his on-off girlfriend. Instead he closed his eyes and yawned for a brief moment, before he opened his eyes in time to watch each of his friends yawn in near unison.

* * *

Jason held the two videotapes in front of him and waited as Zack adjusted his position on the foam mattress on the ground. 

"Well, which one?" Jason asked him, motioning with his eyes to get Zack's attention.

Zack stared at the selection thoughtful before pointing to the first one. "Big Trouble in Little China," he decided.

Jason nodded with satisfaction and kneeled down to put the tape into the video player he'd received for his birthday the year before hand. He was glad that Zack was staying the night, and the idea of watching his favorite movies seemed like the perfect plan to him. They were both tired from the long day at the martial arts exhibition, but were both too equally pumped to go to sleep too soon.

His finger pushed the play button, but he quickly pressed 'stop' as a knock echoed through his closed bedroom door.

Zack groaned and Jason sighed. "Yeah?" he asked out loud, remaining on the ground. He quickly adjusted his shorts.

The door opened slightly, and tresses of long, dark hair peeked through the crack, before Kimberly's face popped through.

"Hey guys, whatcha doing?" she asked, slightly biting her lip as she spoke.

"Watching a flick," Zack stated, "You wanna watch?"

Kimberly seemed pleased at the invitation. "What are you watching?" she asked.

Jason tried not to smirk, knowing she usually hated every movie he liked. "Big Trouble in Little China," he revealed, continuing to conceal his smirk as she scoffed slightly at his revelation.

"Really?" she stated, scrunching up her face. "You've watched that like twenty times…can't we watch something cool…"

"Actually, we've watched it thirty times," Jason corrected her with a sly smile, "So if you don't want to watch it with us, then you'll just have to be a loner…"

She sighed, her tired eyes drooping slightly. "Well, I'm tired anyway…I certainly don't need that to make me fall asleep any easier," she stated, before raising a weak hand. "Nite boys."

"Goodnight Kim," the two boys said together as she disappeared and closed the door.

Jason hit the play button again and clumsily climbed onto his bed as the film began to tick over. He watched the familiar opening scene, his eyes blinking slowly until before he knew it, he was already asleep.

_Knock, knock, knock. _

Jason blinked as the noise crept through his slumber and pulled him out of a dream. He moaned and rolled over, eyeing his bedroom door with a slight glare.

"What?" he called out.

The door opened and Kimberly stood there, a hand on her hip. Her dark eyes were sleepy, and going by the state of her messy hair, he could see she had been lying down.

"The television is keeping me awake, can't you turn it down?" she asked him, slightly irritated. She glanced down as Zack who Jason could see had also fallen asleep and she raised an eyebrow. "Gees, I could have told you that movie has a tendency to make people fall asleep…" she observed with a wry tone.

Jason nodded his head bleakly and crawled over his sheets to press the stop button, before he leaned back and flopped back on his bed. He glanced over at the clock on his nightstand, and realized he must have been asleep for a good forty minutes.

He rubbed his eyes, before he noticed that Kimberly was still standing in his doorway.

"What?" he asked her quietly

Sometimes when he looked at her, it was like he knew what she was thinking. Sometimes he wished he didn't analyze her so much, but he couldn't help himself. Not after everything they had been through together. It had become a fact of life that he could always immediately pick up when something was troubling her, and at that moment, he sensed it was of those rare times.

She shuffled slightly on the spot, and then shrugged. "Nothing…I um…" she raised her hand to quickly scratch an itch on her cheek. "Sorry to bother you." she apologized, before closing the door.

Jason sighed, and crawled under his blanket, rolling over several times before he found a position that was comfortable. He hated that he had to try and get back to sleep, especially being that he had been quite comfortably enjoying the state of slumber he had accidentally succumbed to. As he stared aimlessly through the darkness of his bedroom, his hazy mind thought back to the dream he had been having before Kimberly had woken him up.

He had been dreaming about aliens and robots.

_The whole city was being invaded and I was trying to save the world or something_, Jason remembered.

He slightly chuckled through the darkness. He knew he must have been watching too much television lately.

---

**Next in Episode 7 "Dawn of the Power":** _A dream turns into reality as a series of events change the teenagers' lives forever. They are faced by a frightening situation, which threatens to consume the lives they know, and love._


	8. Ep7: Dawn of the Power I

**REBIRTH OF THE LEGACY**

By Chanelle Summer**  
**

**Dawn of the Power: Part 1- Episode 7  
**

_A/N – Thanks again for the reviews! __**Katimavik:** Yes, Jason and Kim do seem to be displaying certain aspects, but they may just be coincidences...or not...either way, all will be explained somewhere and sometime in the future. **ReganX:** Thanks again for your great review, always a huge help reading your reflections. **SexiSilver:** Yes, Jason probably should have followed Kim, but maybe now that they're older, he didn't want to seem intrusive or maybe he felt that she didn't want him to follow her. Or maybe he was just too tired to follow her! To everyone else, THANKS for your reviews! Just to let you all know, my update rate may slow down slightly in a couple of weeks time, due to my having to travel backwards and forwards between here and another city for medical reasons, so I'll be out of town a lot. But, I will still update as often as possible. So, I hope you all enjoy this chapter- make sure you leave me a review, even short, just to let me know what you think! Take care!_

* * *

_The world changes forever when a vicious hand of evil attacks the Earth. Kimberly sees a bad dream come to life before her eyes, as the five friends find themselves in a series of events beyond their wildest imaginations. What happens? Find out next..._

Through the small space of darkness, he looked through his crimson vision and took in the mass for all of its glory.

It was just a sphere of earth, nothing distinct or special about it, however to the emperor of Phlegethon, it was more than a trophy. Unlike the other acquisitions he had made over the thousands of years he'd terrorized the vast universe, this latest conquest would be the last.

The final piece of the puzzle. Then he would own the entire cosmos.

It was rare that the royal leader would leave his kingdom to travel the depths of any galaxy, but he knew he could spare the fuel, and he took an extra pleasure in personally viewing the defenseless planet for himself.

"Today is the day…" he whispered to the tranquil quietness of his chamber, "It will all be mine…there is no one who can stop me now…"

* * *

**_Monday 7th February 1994 _**

Meanwhile, down in Angel Grove, Billy and his friends were on their way home from school, enjoying the sunshine as they chattered away about their various happenings that day. As always, the young scientist did his best to follow his friends' tales, but he occasionally found himself zoning out as they swapped gossip and glossy stories.

Like usual, Jason and Zack both talked about football training at lunch and of course Zack never passed up the opportunity to talk about his run-ins with Angela. Things had been definitely patchy between the two since the miserable Winter Ball at the start of the semester, and his close friend spent much of his free time chasing the beautiful girl around the school or the youth center in an attempt to woo her back.

In between locker room talk, Trini and Kimberly told them about the tutoring program that they'd joined, where they'd be visiting the elementary school to help young students learn to read. Billy was at least able to partake in that particular subject, being that he himself was also part of the program, and for at least a little while he felt that he was truly at his friends' level.

They all crossed the road together when Kimberly suddenly threw her hands out to her sides. "Oh my gosh, I totally forgot to tell you guys!" she burst out, her mouth wide open.

Trini raised an eyebrow. "Tell us about what, Kim?"

Jason rolled his eyes. "You're not going to tell them about that crazy dream you had, are you?" he asked.

She sounded a forced and impatient sigh. "Yes, I am," she confirmed, "I had the strangest dream last night, you guys totally would not believe it."

"What?" Zack asked.

Billy watched her closely as she stared ahead thoughtfully. "Well, I had this dream that we were just hanging outside or something, and then from out of nowhere the earth was like attacked and there were these things attacking people in the streets," she paused and then continued, "Then, we were all together and we were attacked by these monster things and we had to fight them to defend ourselves-."

"Uh, I think you've been watching way too much TV!" Zack spoke up, shaking his head and offering a slight chuckle.

Kimberly pouted. "You didn't let me finish!" she protested.

Trini linked her arm with her best friend. "Tell me what happened after that, Kim," she asked her, eyeing her with interest.

Kimberly bit her lip and shrugged. "Well, I don't really know what happened after that because _somebody _woke me up," she mock glared at Jason.

Jason sniggered. "Well I kinda remember you waking me up the night before hand," he reminded her, "It's not like I did it on purpose."

"So, you had a dream about aliens...It was probably all that stuff on the news on the weekend. I mean, I have those type of dreams all the time," Zack commented, sounding as though he were trying to reassure her.

Billy nodded. "Yes, Kimberly, it's quite common for people to dream of the supernatural," he added.

"Yeah, but it was so real," she objected, "It was like I was really there...actually..." She bit her lip again, before turning her head to look at them all quickly. "Actually, the day was like today..."

Trini giggled. "Well, if we get attacked by aliens, at least we have some big strong men to protect us, right?" she commented lightheartedly, throwing a cheeky smile to Zack and Jason.

"Na-uh," Zack shook his head, "If aliens came, I'd be the first one out of here!"

Kimberly scoffed. "Fine, we wouldn't need you, anyway," she told him confidently, "In fact, I reckon I could protect myself just fine..."

"What, you gonna knock them over with a shopping bag?" Jason teased.

Kimberly let go of Trini's arm, and moved around from behind, throwing herself on Jason's back playfully. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, but the lively display was cut short when a strange, green light pulsated in the sky, before slowly diminishing.

"Whoa," Kimberly stated, her eyes transfixed on the blue mass above them.

"What do you think that was?" Jason asked.

Billy's eyes remained fixated on the sky above and he slowly leveled his gaze as he realized Jason was speaking to him.

"I am not certain," Billy replied to his friend. "I'm sure whatever it is, it will be on the news." He motioned to his side, "Well, I'm home. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

His friend's were still looking slightly surprised, but Kimberly and Trini eventually managed a wave to him. "Bye Billy!" they called out in unison, before he headed through the front door of his single level home.

_I wonder what that was in the sky? _Billy thought in bewilderment. He moved straight to the television in the living room, and hoped that maybe he would see something about it on the news. _I could always call dad..._

His blue-green eyes narrowed as a news report caught his attention, and he immediately rocked back and barreled out the front door. He spotted his friends only a small distance up ahead and called out for them. They turned around and jogged towards him and he motioned with an extended arm to follow him.

He re-entered the living room and waited patiently as his group of friends arrived shortly after, expressions of confusion on their faces. He motioned to the news report, and watched their expressions slowly change as the reporter spoke:

"…This is the latest event in what has been a string of unusual occurrences identified in outer space over the last week. At this stage, there is no official explanation as to the cause of this disturbance in the sky, however scientists are confirming that they have detected a previously unseen disturbance near the moon…"

"Ooh, it must be aliens," Zack jibbed, wriggling his fingers in front of him.

Kimberly laughed, but her amused reaction quickly gave way to a look of serious contemplation. "It's probably just some meteor thing, right?" she asked, turning to look at Billy.

Billy adjusted his glasses and then shrugged. "I admit it's not anything I'm familiar with," he confessed honestly, "I can't say what the disturbance would be caused by."

Kimberly shrugged. "Well, I gotta get home, I have plans to go and visit my grandparents," she explained.

"And I've got to go to volleyball practice," Trini added.

The two girls started for the front door, and Trini turned around. "You guys coming?" she asked, looking at Jason and Zack.

"Yeah," Jason replied.

"Hey, wait up, I'm going to go and see what my dad knows about this!" Billy added and they all headed out the front door together.

* * *

In a location, similar to that of the appearance of space, a vast cluster of lights blinked as a spacecraft hovered outside the atmosphere of Earth. The exterior chassis of the craft was the color of raw earth, while on the interior, the walls and roof was the color of the blackest night. 

The two-roomed ship was silent, except for the mechanical noises from the sequence of pushed buttons as an artificially intelligent machine conducted his fifth round of sensory tests.

"Our scanners are indicating the existence of a newly present energy signature," Alpha 5 reported a loud, as his tiny mechanical hands attended to a flashing switchboard.

The robot lowered his wide, circular head and peered closely at the scanner and then straightened himself up again.

"Aiy yi yi yi yi," the android suddenly commented unhappily, as he looked up at his master for assistance.

Zordon looked down at his robotic assistant and nodded his head from the large tube of light he was imprisoned in. The intergalactic master was no stranger to the tone of concern in Alpha 5's voice and he knew it meant only one thing.

"ALPHA, CONTACT OUR BASE IMMEDIATELY," Zordon ordered the robot, "I HAVE GRAVE CONCERNS THAT LORD ZEDD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LATEST CAUSE OF INTERFEARENCE ON OUR SENSORS."

The robot nodded and scuttled over to the end of the ring of computers, and quickly obliged to his master's command. His metal digits completed the task and he nodded his head once more.

"Alert has been completed," Alpha 5 informed him, "Should we begin the initiation process yet?"

Zordon shook his head. "NO, ALPHA," Zordon responded firmly, "WE MUST WAIT UNTIL WE RECEIVE COMMUNICATION BACK. IT MAY BE IN OUR BEST INTERESTS, HOWEVER, IF WE BRING THE TEENAGERS UP ON OUR RADAR SO WE CAN MONITOR THEIR MOVEMENTS."

"Right away, Zordon," Alpha 5 obliged, immediately bringing the desired footage onto the circular globe that sat at the end of the computer consol.

The robot watched the screen with interest and then straightened himself up. "Zordon, it looks as though panic has already begun on Earth," Alpha 5 pointed out, before he turned to look up at Zordon. "We may be too late if we leave it any longer."

Zordon remained speechless and then briefly nodded his head, "YES, ALPHA, YOU MAY BE CORRECT IN THIS INSTANCE. CONTACT RELISSA IMMEDIATELY AND BEGIN THE PREPERATION FOR THE POWER TRANSFER."

* * *

"See, I totally told you this day was weird," Kimberly rambled on as the five teenagers made their way slowly down Billy's street and towards Trini's. 

"Yeah, but it's probably like a meteor explosion," Zack reasoned, "That's what they were saying on the news."

Kimberly was marveled by the strange occurrence she had witnessed in the sky. It's not as though she believed in aliens or other supernatural phenomenon, but she still couldn't help wondering what exactly it was.

"...and just think how massive the universe is," Trini was mid-sentence when Kimberly finally came out of her own thoughts.

"It's kind of freaky to think about-." Zack commented.

The end of his sentence was completely muffled as a loud explosion tore through the air, and forced the teenagers to the ground. Kimberly grabbed her temple in her hands and tried to cover her ears as the ringing slowly drained away.

Her heart was pounding as small, staggered breaths escaped from between her open lips. "What was that?" she cried.

She turned to look at her friends, who all looked as stunned as she was. "Billy!" she gasped again, shaking his arm, "What was that?"

He stared at her apprehensively. "I-I do not know," he managed to get out.

She bit her lip and then slowly stood up as she noticed residents in the houses around them flooding out onto the streets. Their panicked and confused voices ran high through the air.

"What do you think that was?" Zack asked, his dark eyes apprehensive.

"It was some kind of explosion," Trini finally stated the obvious, "But it seemed to come from all around us..."

Kimberly grabbed Trini's arm. "Guys, I think we have to get to our homes like right away," she suggested.

They all nodded and gathered their backpacks that were strewn across the sidewalk, before they started quickly pacing along the path. Kimberly could still feel her heart pounding out of control, but she tried to remind herself that she probably over-reacting.

_I just have to get home, I'll be safe then, and I'm sure we'll find out that it was just like I thought, a meteor explosion..._

She glanced up at Jason slightly, and could see the steeliness in his eyes. _He's never afraid of anything, _she thought to herself.

Zack was also looking intently ahead, but his brown eyes were swirling with panic, despite the determination in his gait. Beside him, Billy had each hand on it's corresponding backpack strap, but she couldn't tell whether he was excited by what had happened, or scared beyond belief.

Beside her, Trini was pacing along quietly, and Kimberly felt at least relieved that she wasn't the only one of them completely freaked out.

They quickened their paces as they approached Trini's house in the near distance. Kimberly wanted to run the remainder of the distance, but she tried to settle herself down and began humming nervously under her breath.

"Watch out!"

Jason's voice suddenly called out of nowhere, as all around them, gray creatures with disfigures faces and blank eyes appeared from flashes of energy. The hideous creatures grew in numbers, as like cells they multiplied, until within the matter of ten seconds, Kimberly guessed there was at least fifty around them.

She screamed and jumped back as Jason instinctually jumped in front of her and she clutched onto the back of his arms for dear life.

"Jesus, tell me this is a dream..." Zack stated with numbing shock in his tone.

"What are they?" Trini gasped as they all bunched together.

"Oh my Gosh, they're aliens, aren't they?" Kimberly found herself rambling away in a panic, "Aliens! What do they want?"

"Settle down, Kim," Jason ordered her, as he lowered himself into a defensive stance.

Zack and Trini followed his movement, and Kimberly exchanged a quick look with Billy. She knew that neither she nor her brainy friend had the martial arts skills of their friends, and so she grabbed his arm and pulled him close so they were shielded by Jason's brave stance.

Kimberly peered over his shoulder, watching in horror as the relentless creatures gathered around them. The monsters bended their knees and peered at the humans, some of them stepping towards the huddle of frightened teenagers. Kimberly found herself unavoidably digging her fingers into Jason's arm, as screaming and yelling pulsated all around them. She could hear frantic residents fleeing their homes and trying to drive off in their cars, as horns blared in the distance and several sirens screamed nearby.

"Maybe we should just run for it?" Zack suggested.

"What!" Kimberly burst out, "Where to? In case you can't tell, we're completely surrounded..."

"Let's just see what they do," Jason announced evenly, "They haven't tried to attack us yet...Zack might be right, we may be able to just run for it-."

Kimberly suddenly yelped as she felt a strange hand on her back, the sensation causing her to hurl herself against Jason. They spun around and she threw an aimless kick in front of her, but only ended up falling on the ground below. Zack quickly yanked her back to her feet and Kimberly watched as Jason pushed between them and headed towards the creature.

"Be careful Jason!" she pleaded as he dropped into his defensive stance.

She gulped as she watched him step forward and then out of nowhere, particles of light surrounded him and he disappeared before her very eyes.

"Jason!" she screamed, jumping forwards. She spun around, as tears welled in her eyes. "Where did he go! WHERE!" she screamed.

"He just disappeared!" Zack exclaimed.

"How can he disappear, a person can't just vanish!" Trini protested.

Kimberly then stared in horror as once more the unbelievable energy appeared around her best friend and she too disappeared.

Kimberly grabbed Billy and Zack's arms and the three remaining friends clung to each other tightly. "Maybe if we hold onto each other, we'll be okay?" Kimberly reasoned desperately.

"I don't understand, they're not doing anything, " Zack pointed out, "If they're monsters or aliens or whatever, why aren't they attacking us?"

"I am not certain," Billy commented, "Although it's clear by the manner in which they're surrounding us that they're clearly fascinated in us in some shape or form..."

Kimberly stared at Billy, waiting for him to continue his explanation when all of a sudden the energy pulsated through his body and tore him away from there. Kimberly could merely hold her breath, her gaze of trepidation remaining where her brainy friend had last stood.

"Kimberly!" Zack gasped. He pulled her forward and stared directly into her eyes, "We gotta do something!"

"What?" she asked him, "We're helpless!" She quickly glanced around them, and squeezed her eyes together as she saw nothing but the unyielding creatures around her.

"No we're not!" he argued, "We gotta go for it, we can defend ourselves, if we can make our way through them somehow, we'll be able to get help."

She opened her eyes and stared at him, her chin trembling. "I don't know if I can," she whispered.

He shook his head. "Come on girl, you can do it," he told her, "Remember on the weekend? The martial arts exhibition?"

"You mean the one where I fell on my butt?"

Zack flashed her a smile, despite the situation. "Come on, we can do it," he said to her with determination.

She nodded bleakly and they turned side by side. She imitated his stance and watched him closely. He stepped forward and she was about to follow when his body froze and she watched as energy particles engulphed him.

"NO ZACK!" she yelled, throwing her arms towards him.

But it was too late.

She blinked and moved around slowly on the spot. _This is either a really bad dream that feels really, really real or this is really happening...this is really happening! Aliens are taking over the planet and they've taken my friends and I'm next!_

"Ohmigosh, what am I gonna do!" she whispered to herself as she eyed the creatures with a half glare-half look of fear. She stepped towards one that was looming before her and she threw a powerful kick to its legs and it stumbled backwards.

But it didn't attack back.

_I'm gonna have to run for it..._She slumped her shoulders and settled her breathing. _It's time, time to go for it!_

She straightened herself up and squeezed her eyes shut as she launched herself forwards, feeling herself come into contact with the barricade of creatures. She clenched her teeth and continued to try and push her body forwards; grunting and gasping escaping her lips as she felt arms from every direction hold her back.

She was about to fall to her knees when she felt a strange sensation wash through her body. The feeling surrounded her entire being and held her as she felt herself disappear into the sky, rocketing away at an unimaginable speed.

* * *

The sensation was something Jason had never even imagined before, let alone experienced. 

It was surreal; it was unexpected. The phenomenon could be explained as feeling energy build inside oneself, and then that energy quickly replacing every physical cell with light. The sensation that enveloped each teenager after the other was not expected, and as Jason found himself suddenly jetting through the sky without warning, he almost felt himself lose consciousness.

As Jason's mind slowly started to tick over, unbeknownst to him some twenty minutes later, he slowly opened his eyes and quickly realized that he had indeed been unconscious. He was about to laugh to himself, thinking he must have been listening to Kimberly's wild stories too often, when the location around him suddenly drove into his skull.

He was certainly not at home. He couldn't even be sure he was still on Earth.

"Jason?" Zack's croaky voice carried through from some direction.

Jason quickly sat up, his dark gaze narrowing as he noticed Zack, Billy, Trini and Kimberly all laying around on the dark floor beside him. Each teenager exchanged a sleepy look with one and other, before Jason shook his head quickly in an attempt to bring some thought processes to himself.

He stood up and walked over to Trini and Kimberly who were both only just getting themselves into a seated position. He extended a hand to each and the teenagers silently gathered themselves, until Kimberly finally spoke through the hazy calm.

"What just happened?" she asked, her brown eyes narrowed in confusion.

Trini looked at her best friend in concern. "Did that really just happen? Did we really just see those monsters and then fly through the sky?" she asked.

Jason looked at Billy, and Zack, Kimberly and Trini quickly mirrored his motion.

Billy shrugged. "I cannot be positive what just occurred," he admitted, "However, I think we must explore out surroundings to gather an indication of where we are."

Jason looked around the small room, and realized there was only one door. He sighed and brushed past Trini, heading without hesitation to the handle-less exit. He frowned as he looked for a way to open it, and then quickly stepped back as it opened without warning, sliding to the right as it exposed what was on the other side.

_Where on earth are we! _

He frowned, his forehead creasing as he gazed around the unusual, circular shaped room. The lighting was dim, except for the hundreds of tiny lights that were flashing from switchboards that covered a bluish circular panel that nearly ran the perimeter of the room.

Jason felt his four friends come and stand beside him, and each teenager stared at the new location with wide eyes, too afraid to take another step or breath.

"What is this place?" Trini finally asked as Jason courageously stepped through.

Jason shook his head and carefully looked around him.

"Damn, Kim, you sure know how to put the mocker on us, don't you?" Zack commented from behind him.

Jason didn't respond, only glancing back at his friends as Kimberly grabbed for his arm and clung on to him.

"Whoa!" Billy's sudden comment startled Jason and he moved his head in time to watch as a robot approached the group of teenagers. The robot's limbs' were dark, while its torso was red in color and Jason could also see a gold lightening symbol on its chest.

"Welcome boys and girls!" the robot greeted in a seemingly cheerful tone.

"What is that?" Kimberly whispered.

"It's a fully-functional, artificially intelligent, sentient automaton," Billy commented. He grabbed the android around its flashing helmet and peered at it closely, before he straightened himself back up and shook his head in seeming admiration. "Amazing!" he exclaimed.

"What did you just say?" Kimberly asked.

"WELCOME HUMANS!"

Jason raised his gaze as a feeling of impending doom washed over him. His darkened eyes fell on the cylinder tube where a large, humanoid face stared over the room, the scene something Jason could only describe as being from a science fiction film.

"Oh. My. Gosh," Kimberly gasped.

"Great," Zack muttered, shaking his head as he spoke. "Just great. You must be like the queen bee, right?" he asked wryly, motioning to the large bubblehead looming over them.

"MY NAME IS ZORDON. I AM AN INTERDIMENSIONAL BEING WHO HAS BEEN LOCKED AWAY FOR MANY EARTH YEARS AFTER A CONFRONTATION WITH A VERY GREAT EVIL SOME TEN THOUSAND YEARS AGO. THE ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENON THAT YOU ALL WITNESSED TODAY, SUSCICTLY FOLLOWED BY THE RELEASE OF BEINGS KNOWN AS 'PUTTIES' HAS SIGNALLED THE ARRIVAL OF THIS GREAT EVIL TO YOUR GALAXY AND THE THREAT HIS EMPIRE POSES TO YOUR PLANET."

"You mean the flash in the sky?" Jason asked.

"And the explosions?" Trini guessed quietly.

"YES," Zordon replied, "AS YOU CAN ALL SEE, OUR TECHNOLOGICAL SYSTEMS HERE HAVE ALLOWED US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MONITOR THESE EVENTS, AND WE HAVE DETECTED THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS LATEST INVASION."

"So it _is _aliens," Kimberly stated dryly. She looked up at Jason. "Is it just me or does this all sound completely ridiculous?" she muttered.

"No, it sounds pretty stupid to me as well," Zack conceded wryly.

Kimberly stepped forward. "If you plan to do anything with us, let me tell you right now that both Zack and Jason have been taking karate forever-."

"Kim!" Zack exclaimed, "Look at the size of his head? Do you really think that our weekly karate lessons and gonna be able to fend that thing off?"

Jason raised his hand. "Guys, just cut it out, okay?" he said quietly, looking at his two friends sternly.

"I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONFUSION, AND IF YOU WOULD ALLOW ME I WILL FINISH MY EXPLANATION TO YOU...THE EVIL BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTACKS AGAINST YOUR PLANET IS THE EVIL DICTATOR KNOWN AS LORD ZEDD. SOME TEN THOUSAND YEARS AGO I MYSELF WAS ENGAGED IN A LONG AND CONCEQUENTIAL BATTLE WITH ZEDD'S FORCES. THE BATTLE STRECTCHED OVER TWO THOUSAND YEARS, HOWEVER OUR CONFLICT WAS CUT SHORT WHEN MY CLOSEST ALLY WAS KIDNAPPED AND I WAS LOCKED IN THIS TIMEWARP."

"So why after all this time has this Lord Zedd decided to attack Earth?" Jason questioned.

"HE HAS BEEN BUSY OVERUNNING THE SURROUNDING GALAXIES AND HAS NOW ARRIVED TO YOUR GALAXY IN THE HOPE OF OVERULING IT. THAT IS WHERE YOU FIVE TEENAGERS COME INTO THE SITUATION..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Zack spoke up, raising his hands before him. "I have no plans to get involved in some kind of alien invasion."

"YOU WILL NOT BE INVOLVED IN ANY INVASION, ZACHORY, YOU WILL BECOME AN ELITE TEAM OF SUPERHEROS, A PATROLING FORCE WHICH WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH THE POWER TO DEFEND YOUR HOME PLANET AND STOP LORD ZEDD'S SENSELESS DESTRUCTION. ALPHA 5 AND I HAVE BEEN MONITORING THE POLPULATION FOR SOME TIME, AND YOU WERE CHOSEN NOT ONLY FOR YOUR INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS, BUT BECAUSE OF YOUR ABILITY TO BECOME A PHENOMINAL TEAM."

Jason blinked. He was sure he heard the strange being's words', yet he couldn't believe them.

"Us? We were chosen? Out of everyone on the planet, you chose a bunch of fourteen and fifteen year old kids to stop some invasion?" he asked, his tone serious, and void of any sarcasm.

Zordon nodded. "CORRECT, JASON," he replied. "AND YOU WILL BE THE ONLY HOPE EARTH HAS IN STOPPING LORD ZEDD FROM RULING THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE. AFTER THOUSNADS OF YEARS OF SEPERATION, I WAS RECENTLY REUNITED WITH MY OLD ALLY, RITA RELISSA, AND TOGETHER WE HOPE WITH YOUR HELP THAT WE CAN PREVENT THE DESTRUCTION OF YOUR PLANET."

"You mentioned a power?" Kimberly asked curiously.

"Aw, come on girl, you're not seriously buying this, are you?" Zack spoke up incredulously.

"YES, KIMBERLY, YOU WILL EACH BE ALLOCATED WITH A UNIQUE POWER DRAWN FROM THE FORCE OF THE ANCIENT DINOSAURS-."

"Dinosaurs?" Trini cut in, a look of perplexity on her face.

"YES, DINOSAURS," Zordon confirmed, "THROUGH THE USEAGE OF WHAT WE CALL POWER COINS AND POWER MORPHER'S, YOU WILL GAIN THE ABILITY TO MORPH INTO SUPERHEROES WITH THE STRENGTH, PROTECTION AND ABILITY TO FACE ZEDD'S FORCES."

"I think we need a moment to talk this all through," Jason admitted.

He turned and faced his friends. Billy was still looking around the dark area in amazement, and Trini was sharing a glance between Zordon and him. Not surprisingly, Zack was shaking his head and staring at the ground. Beside him, Kimberly was nervously chewing on her bottom lip, her dark eyes thoughtful, as though she was seriously taking in the words of the strange being above them.

"Guys?" Jason spoke up quietly. He extended his arms and motioned for them all to huddle together. "What do you all think?"

Zack sighed deprecatingly. "I'm starting to think that you're behind this episode of candid camera if you are seriously trying to convince me to believe this baloney, Jase," he commented.

"Zack, how can you disbelieve what he told us after everything you've seen?" Trini asked her friend. Her tone was gentle, but her eyes were forceful. "This isn't a time to be afraid-."

"I'm not afraid," Zack protested in a loud whisper.

"I am," Kimberly stated abruptly.

Jason sighed. "They chose us," he reminded them, "Us. Out of everyone, they think that we could save the world."

Kimberly continued to chew on her lip. "Yeah, but don't you think that the army or someone would be better? We're only teenagers..." she reasoned, "Besides, what kind of powers are they talking about? Dinosaurs? I mean, what does that even mean!"

"Look, let's find out more about this, and then make our decision, okay?" Jason suggested. Trini and Billy both nodded in response, leaving Zack and Kimberly who merely shrugged.

"Tell us about these powers," Jason requested, gazing directly at Zordon, "What are they and how can they possibly prepare us for protecting the Earth?"

"EACH OF YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR OWN POWER COIN AND MORPHER, FROM WHICH YOU WILL SUMMON AN ANCIENT POWER FROM YOUR INDIVIDUAL PROTECTOR BEAST. ONCE MORPHED, YOU WILL EACH BE ADORNED IN YOUR OWN PROTECTIVE SUITS AND WILL BE ASSISTED BY HEIGHTENED COMBAT ABILITIES. YOUR COMBAT ABILITIES WILL BE ABOVE ANY SKILLS THAT YOU HUMANS ARE CAPABLE OF WITHOUT THE PROTECTION OF THE POWER."

Kimberly sighed dramatically. "I don't know if I like the sound of being transformed into some kind of freak," she commented dubiously, as she flipped her loose hair over her shoulder.

"I CAN ASSURE YOU, MY DEAR, THAT THE POWERS GIVEN TO YOU WILL ONLY ASSIST YOU AND THE PROCESS OF METAMOPHISIS IS ONLY TEMPORARY. WHEN FACED WITH A MOMENT OF DANGER, YOU EACH SIMPLY SUMMON YOUR POWER AND YOU WILL BE TRANSFORMED INTO YOUR ARMOR, READY FOR BATTLE. ONCE YOUR MISSION IS COMPLETED, YOU WILL SIMPLY DE-MORPH," Zordon explained.

Jason lowered his gaze from the sage and glanced over to his friends. He knew he was having a hard time believing what he was hearing and as he took in their ranging expressions, he knew that the mystical Zordon was going to have a tough task ahead of him if he was going to convince them they were a group of superheroes.

* * *

Trini watched her friends carefully, her eyes silently pleading for them to make the right decision. 

_We have to agree, we have to do this...We as a team could save the world and protect everyone on it. This is life changing!_

"It's the honorable thing to do," Trini reasoned, "We have the opportunity to make a difference, to save billions of people...I know this is something I couldn't possibly say no to."

Billy nodded and smiled tightly in her direction. "Your reasons are admirable, Trini," he agreed, "Today, I have witnessed things I never imagined, things I have never even read about...I can't say what contribution I could possibly make as a warrior, but I know I want to be part of this."

Jason smiled. "All right, Billy, that's what I wanna hear," he said, slapping him lightly on the shoulder. Trini was glad that Jason was keen, and knew that if her martial artist friend were for the idea, then it would be a much easier argument to win.

Kimberly sighed and slumped her arm on Zack's shoulder. "I have to say right now that I am totally freaked out by all of this, and..." she paused and raised her gaze, "And, I don't know how to feel...but I do know that you guys are my best friends, and I'm gonna stick by you no matter what you choose to do. I want to do this..." she smiled and shrugged. "And, I have to say it'd be kinda cool having powers..." she admitted.

Zack groaned, and Trini could sense her friend was struggling with his own emotions. Kimberly tightened her arm around his shoulder. "This is just too unbelievable," he admitted.

"Just try it," Jason reminded him, "Come on Zack, we can't do this without you."

"Please, Zack," Trini quietly added.

He slumped his shoulders. "Fine," he conceded. Kimberly grinned and hugged him quickly.

They gazed towards the mysterious being and Jason stepped forwards. "We agree," he announced, "We want to do this and we want to help you protect Earth."

Zordon nodded. "VERY WELL, EXTEND YOUR HANDS AND RECEIVE YOUR POWER COINS," he announced.

Trini took a deep breath and raised her hand, each of her friends doing the same. She quickly looked down as a strange waistband suddenly appeared around each of their waists, and then quietly gasped as a golden, carved coin suddenly appeared in her extended hand.

She brought the glimmering object closer to her face, and peered at the intriguing image that was carved on its face. She ran the index finger of her free hand over the intricate icon, and on close inspection she could see the image was a representation of a saber-toothed tiger.

"Wow, what are these?" Kimberly's voice asked in bewilderment as each teenager focused their attention on their newly received coins.

"THE COINS IN YOUR HANDS ARE YOUR POWER COINS, AND EACH COIN BELONGS TO YOU. THE MOPRHERS ON YOUR BELTS ARE WHAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO DRAW ON YOUR EACH INDIVIDUAL POWERS. AS YOU CAN SEE, EACH COIN IS UNIQUE," Zordon paused and each ranger quickly looked up at him before he continued.

Kimberly raised her hand in the air, a questioning look on her face. "So, like where do we go now?" she asked, "And how do we get there from...wherever this place is?"

"OUR CURRENT LOCATION IS HOVERING JUST OUTSIDE OF THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE-."

"We're in space!" Jason stammered, as though Zordon had just slapped him across the face.

"YES, JASON. BUT RIGHT NOW, YOUR FIRST MISSION WILL BE TO RETURN TO YOUR HOME TOWN OF ANGEL GROVE, WHERE THERE ARE PUTTIES ON THE RAMPAGE. THESE CREATURES ARE SPREADING ACROSS TOWN, AND IT IS YOUR JOB TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE SITUATION."

"You mean, kick butt?" Zack guessed.

"Kick butt?" Alpha 5 repeated in a puzzled tone. "What does the term 'kick butt' mean?"

"It means to totally wipe the floor clean with them!" Kimberly explained enthusiastically.

"Oh, teenagers..." Alpha 5 commented, shaking his large head slightly, "I think I need to learn your lingo..."

"ALPHA, CONTACT RITA AND INFORM HER OF THE SITUATION," Zordon announced.

"Of course, Zordon," Alpha 5 replied. The robot turned, and his fingers ran over the numerous, flashing buttons with seeming precision. Trini watched him with curiosity, exchanging amazed looks with her friends before the android suddenly rocked back on his feet.

"Zordon, Rita is not responding," Alpha 5 announced, patent concern in his tone.

"WE CANNOT WAIT ANY LONGER," Zordon explained, "TELEPORT THE RANGERS TO INNER ANGEL GROVE, AND CONTINUE TO ATTEMPT CONTACT WITH RITA."

"Right away," Alpha 5 responded, "Rangers, prepare yourselves for teleportation."

"Teleportation?" Kimberly questioned.

"They're going to return us back to Angel Grove," Trini explained to her friend.

"Wait, we can't just go like this, right?" Zack asked.

"HOLD YOUR MORPHERS BEFORE YOU AND SUMMON YOUR DINOSAUR," Zordon explained. "THIS WILL INITIATE THE MORPHING SEQUENCE."

Jason nodded and glanced at them all. "All right, let's try this thing," he said, "It's Morphin' time!" he exclaimed.

Trini watched him raise his morpher from his belt, and attach his coin in the hollow center, as he simultaneously held it before him. They each quickly followed his lead and took their turn to summon their individual powers.

"Mastodon!" Zack called out.

"Pterodactyl!" Kimberly yelled.

"Triceratops!" Billy summoned.

"Saber-tooth Tiger!" Trini shouted clearly.

"Tyrannosaurus!" Jason boomed loudly.

The five newly morphed rangers quickly glanced at each other in amazement before they almost immediately vanished in a wash of rainbow energy.

* * *

Jason immediately assumed his defensive stance as he felt his feet touch the pavement in an alleyway in the center of Angel Grove city. He glanced to each of his sides as his new teammates stepped up beside him, and he couldn't help but take a fleeting moment to take in their newly acquired outfits. 

They were each a color of their own, the various shades bold and luminous. The protective spandex uniforms featured a white diamond pattern to the torso, matching gloves and boots, and a protective helmet. The dark visors of each one featured an individual hint of their corresponding dinosaur and their morphers were attached around their waist.

It was something Jason had only ever seen on television.

It was in that one moment that Jason recognized the powers that had supposedly chosen them, were the colors each teenager had always favored above all others. Zack was in black, Trini was in yellow, Billy was wearing blue and Kimberly was draped in her signature color of pink.

Jason could see his friends instantly inspect their new uniforms and he himself moved his gloved hands over his own outfit. The red spandex was light, almost as though it was a part of him. Like a second skin, it gripped his limbs and torso effortlessly and despite never really wearing a fully closed helmet before, Jason felt great in it.

"Whoa, guys!" Zack suddenly burst out from beside him.

He watched as the black ranger threw an arm out behind him, and Jason turned in time to watch as a pack of putties flooded into the alleyway. The gray creatures stalked towards them, the dark hollows of their eyes and some black markings to their torso, the only breakup to their blank and hideous appearance.

"Okay guys, let's go for it!" Jason shouted in confidence.

He paced forwards and immediately engaged with the first few in the pack. He swung a powerful leg to the knees of the first two, before simultaneously launching a fist in line with the chin of the third.

The creatures each stumbled backwards, and Jason stepped back as he watched a flash of pink handspring past him. He observed closely as Kimberly confronted two at a time, using her flexibility to launch herself into a final handspring straight into a powerful doubled legged kick. The impact threw the creatures to the ground and Zack moved and collected some more with a combination Jason noticed they'd practiced the other week at the Youth Center.

Jason moved deeper into the mob of steel colored creatures and continued to seemingly effortlessly knock them to the ground. He realized he was putting his years of martial arts skills to good use, but a big part of him knew that his powers must have been adding an extra punch to his force.

And as he quickly glanced at his friends and fellow teammates, he knew they were all experiencing the same sense of empowerment.

Trini was moving effortlessly beside him, and he took her close distance as an opportunity to work together. They both attacked three putties in a matter of seconds, each throwing a powerful leg to their side of the creatures.

"This is amazing!" Jason heard Trini exclaim.

Jason caught his breath and nodded, before throwing a powerful arm to strike a surprise attack from behind. As he turned around and finished the putty off, it was then he saw the lone Blue ranger on the outside of the huddle, his arms beside his sides as he stood against the wall of the building alongside them.

_What's wrong with Billy? _Jason thought with concern.

The red ranger swiftly moved towards his motionless friend, reaching forwards with his arms as he eventually arrived before him.

"Billy, what's wrong?" Jason asked, as he grabbed the blue ranger's shoulders' with a firm grip.

"I-I…"

"Billy?"

"I…Jason, I…I don't know what to do…"

Jason stared at the blue ranger, blinking several times. He hadn't realized that his quiet friend was apprehensive about engaging in conflict, despite his newly acquired powers. Jason knew he had to find a way to get Billy comfortable in his new role.

"Just go for it Billy, we have the upper hand here," Jason began, "See the others? They are easily forcing them back…"

Jason's sentence trailed as he caught a glimpse of gray through the side of his visor. The red ranger stepped back and grabbed Billy by the arm, pulling him beside him.

"Get in your defensive stance," Jason ordered his friend.

He watched as the blue ranger obliged and Jason nodded his helmeted head. "Good. Now, before going into it, take in your opponent. You're an analyst, Billy. See the way they move. They're quick at times, but mostly they move off target. Simple combinations will do the trick."

Jason watched for a moment as his friend in blue moved forward and tentatively kicked the first putty at the knees, before throwing a slightly hesitant, but powerful punch to the second. As he moved onto the third approaching creature, Jason could observe the building confidence in the blue ranger's movements and the red ranger took the moment as his cue to get back into the heat of the battle.

He ran back towards where Kimberly and Trini were dually fighting back six putties in unison. He moved past the female rangers, a flash of confusion and desperation twisting his face beneath his helmet as he looked to the end of the alleyway.

News reporters and camera crew were huddled at the t-intersection, seemingly nonchalant about the unnatural event that was taking place in the lane before them. Jason understood that the event was something that would definitely catch the attention of the media, but he couldn't believe that people would endanger their lives like that.

"Hey!" he yelled towards the mob, throwing his hand in a dismissive motion. "Move back, it's too dangerous here!"

He groaned as two stray reporters started towards him and he moved forwards, trying to stop them from getting any closer to the battle behind him.

"Who are you and what is going on?" the first reporter, a brunette with frizzy hair and hazel eyes, asked him.

"Can you explain to us what occurrences are taking place on earth? Is this an alien invasion?" the second reporter asked, as she ran her free hand over her short, blond bob.

Jason sighed, his mind racing at a thousand miles per hour.

"We're here to protect the earth," Jason told them in a low voice, "Everything is going to be okay…"

"Did you get that? They speak English!" Jason heard several surprised voices exclaim from the mob of media.

"Who are you?" the brunette repeated, shoveling her microphone towards his helmet.

"We're the Power Rangers," Jason replied, "Here to stop any further damage to the city-."

Jason stopped as he heard a loud series of explosions in the distance, and he instantly turned back to the group of civilians.

"Please, go! All of you! It isn't safe, and we have a job to do here!" he shouted at them.

He watched as the group quickly moved out of the mouth of the laneway, their pace quickened by the loud thundering that seemed to be approaching their location. As soon as he was satisfied they had all vacated, he turned and ran back towards the continuing confrontation, relieved at least that the number of putties had begun to diminish.

He joined Zack's side and was about to give his friend a high five when a thundering bang pulsated around them and without notice the surrounding double story buildings began to shake. Jason didn't have a moment to think, before the bricks seemingly slipped from their foundations and came roaring towards the ground.

"Watch out!" He heard Kimberly's piercing scream, as they were all covered in a heavy shower of concrete.

Jason knew he was still alive, despite the darkness that consumed his vision beneath the thick pile of rubble. He freed his left hand and began moving the clumps of concrete and he recognized almost immediately that the layer wasn't as thick as he first thought. As he moved his body out to the top of the fallen buildings, he simultaneously sighed with relief as he spotted the other rangers freeing themselves nearby.

"What just happened?" Zack asked, as they slowly regrouped. "Were we just squashed by two buildings and walked out without a scratch?"

"Where have all the putties gone?" Trini asked.

Jason looked around and was about to reply when out of nowhere his eyes fell on a form of white in the near distance.

The woman had exotic features, the olive shade of her skin framed by a head of cascading dark hair. Her dark eyes were gentle and her soft lips were turned into a subtle smile as her relaxed arms rested by the sides of her flowing white gown.

Jason recognized her immediately.

"Look! It's Zordon's ally!" Billy observed loudly, speaking Jason's thought for him.

"She looks like an angel," Kimberly marveled from beside him.

The mesmerizing woman stepped towards them. "I'm so relieved that I was able to reach you in time," Rita Relissa finally spoke aloud, her tone laced with distress.

Jason frowned inwardly. "What do you mean?" he asked immediately.

"I was afraid that Zordon may have brainwashed you and gotten you on the side of evil," she replied, her distraught words taking Jason completely off guard.

* * *

Kimberly blinked, a frown rushing her face beneath her armored helmet. Did she just hear Rita right? 

"What are you talking about?" Kimberly asked in utter confusion, "Zordon is on our side, the side of the planet…we're trying to stop the bad guys."

Rita nodded her head slowly and then she began to move her hands in fluid motions as she spoke. "That's what he may have told you, pink ranger, but he lied to you; all of you," she paused and looked at them all before continuing, "He was not honest with you and is using you as pawns in his plan to overtake your planet-."

"That can't be true, he told us everything," Jason argued.

"I know that you trusted his word, but he has manipulated you all," Rita continued, her tone still gentle but full of reason. "He stole my power coins from me and tried to use them for evil purposes…he sent you down here thinking that you were fighting the forces of evil, but it's a smoke screen. Zordon sent the creatures that have over-run your planet. He had you believe that you could save your world, but he knew you would be incapable of stopping it and that he would eventually rule your planet."

Kimberly felt as though all the air in her lungs vanished, a cold sensation choking her and robbing her of her ability to speak up. It had taken everything in her to be strong and trust the unbelievable things she had witnessed before the impressive Zordon, yet somehow she found herself being swayed by the passionate words from his supposed comrade.

_But she isn't…Zordon is evil…After all, this Rita woman at least looks human…how could we be so stupid to believe the word of some alien looking bubblehead! _Kimberly bit her lip, a ticking sound pounding in her skull. _But on the other hand, Zordon seemed so nice…and the robot… _

"I-I thought you were his friend?" Kimberly suddenly spoke up, breaking the stunned, nervous silence that had choked all her friends. "He told us that you were on his side…"

"I was on his side," Rita admitted, "Thousands of years ago…he turned to the side of evil, and as soon as I learnt of his betrayal, I locked him in a time warp in the hope that he would never succeed in his desire to destroy the universe. He has, however, been putting plans in place for thousands of years and he is strong enough now to unleash his uncontainable power."

"Man!" Zack exclaimed with evident anger and frustration. "I told you guys we could not trust that thing! I mean, for God's sake, he was in a space ship! All those computers and weird machines…who knows what he had planned?"

Kimberly let her friend's words' of disillusion penetrate her mind, which was cracking in two very separate directions. She stepped beside Jason, and leant towards him, the appearance of his spandex uniform up close briefly taking her attention, before she composed herself.

"Jason, I'm confused," she whispered to him, "What is going on?"

The red ranger moved away from her. "What do we do to protect the Earth?" his steeled voice reached out towards the beautifully adorned woman before them.

"Come with me," Rita replied, her dark eyes pleading for their understanding. "Come with me and I will give you the right guidance to stop Zordon."

"Come with you where?" Trini asked from beside Zack.

"To my protective palace," Rita explained.

Kimberly turned to her friends, and they all huddled in a tight group, the sounds of heavy breathing almost echoing inside their circular foundation.

"What do we do?" Trini asked.

"We have to do what she says," Zack stated defiantly, "I trust her a lot more than I do that Zordon creature."

"She does seem more sincere," Trini agreed, "Although, I really felt that Zordon was being truthful with us…"

"Billy? Kim?" Jason asked up.

Kimberly remained quiet, as the blue ranger shook his downcast head. "Angel Grove is being destroyed," he stated, "We have to do something..."

"Kimberly?" Jason repeated.

Kimberly sighed. "Let's do it," she agreed, although she felt the pangs of doubt chip off each spoken word.

Jason nodded, and immediately turned from their circle of trust. He moved towards their newest ally, and extended his hand towards her.

"Let's do this," his brusque, yet confident voice informed Rita.

Rita nodded. "You've made the right choice," she promised them, "I will teleport you out now…"

Kimberly watched as Jason stepped back and the group of rangers stood side by side as they prepared for teleportation. Kimberly closed her eyes as she felt the sensation of her body erupting with pink light, and the rangers all began to shoot for the sky above. She opened her eyes within seconds, but before she could call out, she watched as the world around her turned to darkness.

* * *

Jason blinked as he slowly fluttered his eyes open. He was about to yell out in surprised, when he remembered he was still morphed and wearing his red ranger helmet. 

He peered through the dark visor of his helmet and he instantly felt his stomach turn. His nerves instantly shuddered, as he gazed around at his four teammates and realized that they were all suddenly in grave danger.

"Jason, are you awake?" he heard Zack's voice from beside him, and Jason tried to turn his head around to look at him.

"What happened?" Jason asked, as he realized that each ranger was secured to a rocky wall with steel shackles and chains.

He inhaled suddenly as a flash of light burst before them, and then sucked away, leaving behind a humanoid form. Jason's eyes glanced over the woman standing before them, and he almost simultaneously felt his pulse quicken.

It was Rita, but she had certainly taken on a new appearance. In place of her beautiful, angel-like features, was the appearance of too much make-up, her dark tresses replaced by gray, straw like hair spun into two high cones. Her body was completely enveloped in an ugly black and brown oversized gown, with an unusual black collar feature and cones on her chest area.

"Wow, I didn't realize that wearing a bra on the outside of your clothes was the new look," Kimberly's comment came almost immediately, her tone dry and sarcastic.

The pink ranger's comment made the woman snigger. "Let me introduce myself, kiddies," she began, her gentle tone replace by a husky and gritty voice. "My name is Rita Repulsa, powerful sorceress and fighter for all that is evil and nasty!"

"Repulsa? Did we miss something?" Zack asked.

"Do you mean that as in 'repulsive'? Because that tent you're wearing certainly is gross," Kimberly muttered.

"I don't understand, what's going on?" Jason asked pointedly. Despite the fact they were chained to a wall and in some completely foreign location, Jason wasn't afraid of the witch.

"Let me make this clear to you all. You are here to fight for me, and in a matter of time, you will all embrace the poison that flows through your veins thanks to your power coins," she stopped and smiled, but the expression was fake and ugly.

"Poison?" Trini asked, evidently concerned.

"That's right; poison," Rita repeated, "You will use the power of the poison to help me destroy Zordon-."

"I don't think so!" Kimberly spat out.

"Oh, but you see you measly little brat, the poison is a sensation you've never experienced in your short lifetime. The power of evil is more seducing then your goody-goody ways…you have been locked here in this chamber for two earth hours, and in that time the evil has been slowly bubbling in your veins…soon, you will feel the evil take a hold of you and you will have no choice but to embrace it."

"So, let me get this straight- you're the evil one, and Zordon's the good one?" Zack asked with utter confusion.

"Well, if you can call him that," Rita stated indifferently, "If he thinks he's going to stop my master's plans to override your pitiful planet, then he will be sorely disappointed…he's gullible, and always has been…trust me, brats, you wouldn't want to serve under somebody so hideously pathetic now, would you?"

The continuing conversation drifted past Jason's ears' as he tried to piece together what was going on. From what Rita was telling them all, Jason understood that she was indeed no longer Zordon's ally, and more specifically she was trying to destroy the Earth. Her master could only be Lord Zedd; the emperor that Zordon had told the rangers was intent on taking over their planet.

_She tricked Zordon, _Jason thought to himself, _She made him believe she was still good, when she was really evil…and now she's tricked us! _

"…So?"

Jason shook his head out of his collection of thoughts and stared ahead of him confused as Rita finished talking. The red ranger realized he hadn't heard a word she had said, and waited for his friend's to speak up again.

"We refuse to help you!" Zack exclaimed.

"Yeah, as if we'd want to destroy our own planet!" Kimberly added in a high pitch.

Rita scowled and Jason watched her closely. "Let me rephrase my offer to you all, then: I need a volunteer to come and help me destroy Zordon and his craft…if you do not help me, I will continue the process of poison on you all and eventually it will drive you all so crazy, you'll kill each other in here, or simply die of starvation and dehydration."

Jason sighed. He knew what he had to do.

"I'll help you," he spoke up finally.

* * *

Kimberly tried to swing her head around at Jason's words. She was immediately about to protest when the sorceress seemingly spun around on the spot with joy and then cocked her head at them in victory. 

"Sleep well, children, I'll be back for you soon, red ranger," Rita announced, before disappearing in a wash of light.

"What the hell was that about?" Zack asked, as he pulled at his chains.

"Why would you do that?" Kimberly asked, moving her body slightly from the wall so she could look towards Jason. "Why would you tell that…that witch that you will help her destroy Zordon?"

"Kimberly, I just said that, hoping she'd leave us alone for a bit," Jason replied, sounding impatient. "So, now that she is gone, we need to think of something really quickly to get out of here."

"Do you all feel okay?" Trini asked. "She said that we are turning evil…"

Kimberly blinked. "I feel fine…I mean, there's no way that could really happen," she stated, a mix of hope and doubt in her voice.

"Hey, I'm a believer," Zack commented, "After today, I believe in everything…"

"Guys, come on, we need to think of something," Jason pointed out, clearly desiring them to cease discussing such topics and to start thinking about ways for them to escape their predicament.

"I-I have a suggestion," Billy finally spoke up, for the first time since they arrived in their imprisonment.

"Tell us Billy," Kimberly coaxed hopefully. She knew if any of them was capable of thinking up an intelligent solution, that Billy was the one who could do it.

"Teleportation," he stated simply.

"Huh?" Kimberly asked confused.

"You're a genius, Billy!" Jason almost immediately exclaimed, "We can teleport out of here and back to Zordon…I can't believe we didn't think of doing it sooner…"

"Yeah, but like how are we supposed to teleport from here?" Kimberly asked.

"Because we're morphed, we have the ability to use our powers to our needs," Billy explained, "If we reach for our morphers on our belts, we should be able to teleport back to Zordon's base."

They all instantly wriggled their gloved hands in their restraints, struggling to move into a position so they could reach their morphers. They each looked around, as they all got their hands in their desired positions, and Kimberly was glad her helmet was concealing the fear written on her face.

"Everyone ready?" Jason asked.

"Yes," they all replied in unison.

Kimberly was stunned as she felt the teleportation process initiate immediately, and before she could blink, she found herself standing back in the center of Zordon's spacecraft.

"Zordon, what's going on!" Kimberly cried, as she stepped forward the moment her feet touched the floor below. She fumbled at the base of her helmet, pulling at two side clips so she could remove her helmet, her teammates all following suit.

"I am so confused right now, I wish this would have been as simple as an alien invasion," Zack spoke up, as he stepped up beside her.

"RANGERS, I AM VERY RELIEVED TO SEE YOU ARE ALL SAFE AND WELL," Zordon spoke up immediately, "AS YOU HAVE WITNESSED, IT HAS NOW BEEN REVEALED THAT RITA HAS JOINED THE SIDE OF EVIL. MY ONLY THOUGHTS CAN BE THAT SHE IS WORKING UNDER THE ORDER OF LORD ZEDD, WITH THE INTENT TO EXTINGUISH THE HUMAN RACE AND TAKE OVER PLANET EARTH."

"But Zordon, isn't there some way we can make her good again?" Trini asked.

"UNFORTUNATELY, TRINI THAT WOULD BE AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK. RITA IS NO LONGER THE FRIEND THAT I KNEW AND HAS TRANSFORMED INTO A DIFFERENT PERSON. I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE AS TO HOW LONG SHE HAS BEEN ON THE SIDE OF ZEDD, BUT KNOWING THAT I WAS SEPERATED FROM HER FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS HAS ME NOW BELIEVING THAT SHE HAS BEEN ON THE SIDE OF EVIL FOR A VERY LONG TIME. HER FAKE ALLIANCE WITH ME WAS OBVIOUSLY CONTINUED IN AN ATTEMPT TO CLAIM THE PLANET FOR LORD ZEDD AND ONCE A BEING ALLOWS SUCH EVIL INTO THEIR SOULS, THEY CAN NEVER RETURN BACK…"

The rangers remained still, as if each was silently contemplating their mentor's words. Jason was the first to move, as he stepped forwards and asked the question that was on everyone's minds.

"What should we do now, then?" he asked. "How can we possibly stop all the violence in Angel Grove?"

"THE ONLY SOLUTION, IS TO STOP THE CORE OF THE PROBLEM: WE MUST DESTROY RITA REPULSA BEFORE SHE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO FINISH HER WELL-THOUGHT OUT PLAN-."

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! _

Kimberly gasped and the rangers all jumped at the sound of the loud, piercing alarm that screamed through the Command Center.

She cast her eyes on the red flashing light on the consol, before turning to face Zordon.

"Aie yi yi yi yi!" Alpha 5 cried, as he spun around on the spot in distress. "Intruder Alert! Intruder Alert!"

The rangers all immediately turned together, their eyes falling with utter dread on the two figures that had entered the Command Center. Kimberly felt the urge to run, but kept her feet planted to the floor as she watched their uninvited guests smirk back at them with seeming confidence.

Standing beside Rita, was a tall and well-built creature, his appearance that of a monkey adorned in golden armor. The titan had a pair of large, black wings expelling from his back, and a set of sharp teeth protruding from his snout. A golden helmet framed his hideous dark face, which housed a pair of crimson glowing eyes.

"Well, well, well!" Rita hissed, as she eyed each ranger with contempt. "It seems you pathetic children think you have the upper hand! Well, let me tell you all right now, that we are here to destroy Zordon!"

"There is no way we will let that happen!" Jason spoke up, as he clenched his gloved fists at the side of his torso. "We will stop you!"

Rita smirked at him, a soft chuckle escaping from between her thin lips. "Sure," she purred, "If you want to try, go right ahead…"

They watched apprehensively as she reached for Goldar's impressive sword, and extended it toward them, before she tossed it to Jason.

"Here, let me help you," the sorceress stated. The red ranger grasped the weapon in his hand, and he immediately pointed the solid blade back towards her.

"You're in trouble now, Rita!" Kimberly snapped, her confidence returning as she watched Jason stand tall with the remarkable sword in his clasp.

She watched as Jason stalked towards Rita slowly. Then before she could blink, Kimberly gasped as the red ranger swung around, and brought the deadly weapon on a collision course with his friends…

---

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**_Coming up next-The concluding part to this episode "Dawn of the Power: Part 2":_**_ What has happened to the red ranger? Has an evil power taken control of him, and will it happen to the others? Can they keep their team together and stop Rita? Find out next… _

_A/N#2- Well, I hope you all enjoyed that. Obviously, it was quite different from the show, especially in regards to the histories of Zordon, Rita and Lord Zedd. To summarize, Zordon and Rita (who use to go by the name of Rita Relissa in her 'good' days) use to be allies, apparently fighting against Lord Zedd's empire ten thousand years ago. Zordon lost that battle, and was locked in his time warp and Zedd apparently kidnapped Rita at that time and Zordon did not see her for thousands of years. Obviously in that time, Rita turned her back on the side of good and turned evil. So, she now fights on the side of evil, serving under Lord Zedd who is currently the ruler of much of the universe. Zordon did not realize that she had turned on him, until she lied to the rangers and teleported them to her base. Obviously, there is a lot more to their history than what we have learnt in this installment, but it will be explored and revealed in the future. And anything that happened here that wasn't explained, etc, will most likely be explained later on. _


	9. Ep8: Dawn of the Power II

**REBIRTH OF THE LEGACY**

**Dawn of the Power: Part 2- Episode 8  
**

By Chanelle Summer

_A/N- Thanks for all the reviews I received over the last week. It's so exciting to see new readers reading my story, as well as my loyal readers continuing to do so with such passion. I was particularly nervous about posting the previous chapter, because I wanted to do something original, yet not alienate fans of the show with something that didn't seem real. I guess my goal is to add something that show was missing for me. Anyway, I also want to let you know that I think my updating speed may slow a little from here on in…I won't go into it in my authors note here, but if you want to know more, check out my profile to read more._

_

* * *

_

_As evil consumes the rangers, will they be able to find themselves onto the side of good to stop Rita's attack against Earth? Find out now..._

Zack didn't have a moment to break his fall. He only managed to half dodge Jason's sudden attack, before he felt his body hurl towards the control panel behind him. His black protective suit prevented him from feeling any discomfort from the collision, and so he quickly scrambled to his feet.

"Jase, what are you doing!" he demanded, staring at his best friend with a mix of anger and confusion.

Despite the distance across the room, Zack could hear heavy breathing from Jason, the sound almost that of a low growl.

"JASON, RITA HAS PUT YOU UNDER AN EVIL SPELL," Zordon's authoritative voice spoke up. "SHE HAS BRAINWASHED YOU TO BELIEVE THAT SHE IS ON YOUR SIDE AND THAT WE ARE YOUR ENEMIES."

Kimberly stepped forward, and extended an insistent hand to the red ranger. "Jason, don't listen to her!" she pleaded.

He stared at her blankly, but she continued towards him. Zack watched helplessly as from out of nowhere Billy extended an arm and caught Kimberly under the jaw. The movement sent her head snapping back and she fell backwards, a painful cry expelling from her lips as she crumpled to the ground.

Trini gasped, and Zack helped the yellow ranger raise Kimberly back to her feet. The three friends watched Billy apprehensively as he stepped beside Jason, the dull lull in his eyes a clear indication that he had succumbed to Rita's evil spell.

"What is going on!" Kimberly practically spat as she glared across at the blue ranger.

Rita began to laugh, her display of thoughtless spite burning in Zack's veins, building his anger as he tried to access the situation. He was having a hard enough time trying to wrap his mind around the earlier events of the afternoon, but he was completely struggling with the concept that his friends were somehow being brainwashed.

"Quit laughing!" Zack snapped, eyeing Rita with contempt.

She cocked her head at his outburst, and her ridiculing expression reduced to a smirk. "Face it, rangers, less than a few earth hours into your job and you've already failed! Your powers are too addictive! You can't fight them, you too will fall to Lord Zedd's command just as your friends have already."

"Never!" Trini retorted.

"We won't let you do this!" Kimberly raised her voice, "We won't let you hurt our friends!"

Rita raised an eyebrow, "Explain to me sugar cup how you know you're even on the right side?" she asked. "Think about it...you've been given a power, but how do you know that it's for the greater good? Trust me, I know more about your powers than you do and I can assure you, they are not the good they are made out to be."

Kimberly's shoulders' dropped, and Zack put an arm on her shoulder. "Don't listen to her, Kimberly," he told her. "She's nothing but a rotten witch."

She gazed up at him, her doe eyes terrified, "I-I...I don't know what to think..." she whispered in a quivering voice.

"Kim, she's just trying to-."

"No!" Kimberly suddenly outburst, breaking out of Zack's grasp. She stumbled backwards, and placed a hand on her morpher, disappearing in a wash of pink energy.

"Kim!" Zack yelled out aimlessly, throwing his arms to his sides in frustration. "Where'd she go?" he exclaimed to Trini incredulously.

_Why would she just leave them like that!_

"It doesn't matter where she went," Rita's voice sneered their way, "Wherever she runs, she won't be able to escape it!" she added a loud cackle to the end of her comment and Zack sighed miserably.

_What are we going to do? This is crazy! With no hesitation I would have fled this freak show already, but I can't just leave Jason and Billy...What are we going to do?_

* * *

Kimberly glanced around her bedroom, unable to step forward at first. Her legs were still shaking beneath her and while she was more than relieved that she'd managed to teleport herself to her home, her body was consumed by guilt and unrelenting fear at what she'd just witnessed. 

She quickly grabbed her morpher in her hands and felt her protective armor disappear from her body as she un-morphed. She grabbed the waistband and morpher from around her waist and hurriedly opened her closest, throwing the items up on the top shelf and then slamming the door closed. She took a deep breath and tried to rid the anger burning in her, but despite repeating to herself that she was now safe, she couldn't believe it.

Especially now that she'd left her best friends in the hands of some alien enemy.

She looked up quickly as her bedroom door flew open. Wide eyes met hers, as Jason's mother seemed to sound a loud, dramatic sigh of relief and displeasure all at once.

"Kim!" Kath exclaimed, her mouth open. "Where have you been!"

Kimberly fidgeted where she stood. "I uh," she stammered.

"Where's Jason?"

Kimberly blinked. "I don't know," she finally responded. "There were these things in the street..."

Kath's face softened and she nodded gently. "It's going to be okay," she soothed. "I'm just so glad that you're all right. Ian is out driving the streets and looking for you two right now...I came home as soon as I saw the news...They're saying that there was some kind of alien invasion today…" She paused, and Kimberly looked away. "Are you okay?"

Kimberly sighed and nodded. "I'm just a little freaked out, that's all..."

"Well, the police have assured us that it's going to be okay...they've asked us to stay indoors until they can work out what they're going to do...I'm going to try and call some people around town and see if I can find Jason."

Kimberly nodded and sighed with relief and sadness as Jason's mother left the room. Kimberly walked over to the open door and closed it gently, before turning around. She dropped herself against the back of the door and brought her knees to her chest as she sat by herself and wept quietly.

_What if they've hurt them, how am I ever going to explain it to everyone? To Kath and Ian? I can't believe I ran away!_

And even if by some miracle her friends did manage to keep themselves safe, she knew they'd probably never talk to her again. She'd abandoned them and left them alone. She was scared and afraid, and she put herself in front of them.

_I left because I didn't want to be put under that spell...The power coins must be brainwashing us, that's why I'm still okay. I thought it was the only way I could do something, but now I don't know what to do! Maybe I need to tell someone, our parents-._

Her eyes shot up as a tapping on her window caught her attention. Her brown eyes widened in anticipation, and she quickly scrambled to her feet as she realized it was Trini.

"Trini!" she gasped, as she opened the window without hesitation.

She watched her best friend crawl through the open window, and searched her eyes and movements for any indication as to what she was feeling.

_She's not wearing her ranger uniform, _Kimberly noted to herself.

"Where did you go?" Trini asked as she straightened herself up before her.

Kimberly sighed and shook her head. "I got scared...I didn't want to be taken by that spell…I didn't know what to do," she admitted, the shame evident in her whispered reply.

"Where's your morpher?"

"I put it away, I'm not using it again," Kimberly stated defiantly.

Trini lowered her gaze, her fallen face causing Kimberly to hold her breath as she spoke. "Jason, Billy and Zack are still there...they're evil- brainwashed," Trini stated dismally. "I left after Zack changed and I un-morphed straight away."

"I-I was thinking...I was hoping, kept hoping that it was just a dream..."

"Kim, the whole world is under attack from this Rita witch...we have to do something," Trini said.

Kimberly nodded and dropped down on the end of her bed. "I want to do something, but what? We can't do anything like this! If we go back there, we'll turn like the others and everything will become worse!" Kimberly stopped and gulped, fresh tears welling in her eyes. "I'm scared, what if she hurts Jason and the others? What if the world gets destroyed because of us?"

Brief silence fell between them and Kimberly watched as her best friend sat beside her, reaching a comforting hand to her shoulder.

"Kim, let's go back, together we can try and do something...maybe Zordon has come up with a plan?"

Kimberly looked in her hands that were sitting in her lap. She knew her best friend was right. They had to do something, there was no way Kimberly could let her friends be up there on their own.

After all, they were a team before today. After everything they'd done for her, it was the least she could do. She couldn't let her fear stop her.

Kimberly hugged Trini quickly and stood up, walking over to her closet and gingerly fumbled around until she found her previously discarded power morpher. She held it in her hands and ran her fingers over it, gathering her nerves, before she finally looked up at Trini.

"Let's do this," Kimberly stated with forced confidence.

The two girls raised their morphers in front of them and morphed, before teleporting into the darkened sky above, and back to the place of extreme uncertainty.

* * *

Jason stared at Rita, his mind empty of any thoughts, his heart deserted of any feeling or emotion. He could hear her demanding voice, her requests to Zordon slicked with spite and arrogance. Beside him, Billy and Zack stood with identical detachment. 

Standing, listening, but unable to respond or react.

His detached gaze watched as the sorceress took in her extended hands a small, back case from the android, a blissful smile gracing her hardened features. She stepped back beside Goldar, and then gazed back victoriously at Zordon.

"I always knew that I would never be victorious by your side, Zordon," she sneered. "And with the final component of power in my hands, you will soon feel the full force of Lord Zedd's wrath against yourself and the pitiable planet of humanoids!"

"YOU WILL NEVER GET AWAY WITH THIS, RITA," Zordon responded in an even tone. "YOU ARE SERVING A SIDE THAT WILL NEVER WIN...YOU WILL EVENTUALLY BE STOPPED."

Rita scoffed. "How? With these dim witted humans that are supposed to be the 'chosen ones'? I hate to remind you, Zordon, but your power rangers are demolished! More than half of your newly recruited team now serves me, and the other half have abandoned you. You have failed!"

Jason continued to stare ahead blankly as the exchange continued, barely responding as a wash of yellow and pink arrived before them, and his female teammates suddenly stood before them with exterior confidence.

"Step back, Rita, we're here to stop you!" Trini reported, as she placed her hands on her hips. Jason watched as she fidgeted her gloved hands to her morpher and the yellow suit quickly washed away, leaving her in her jeans and yellow shirt.

Rita raised an eyebrow. "Welcome back, rangers, it's good to see that females are just as stupid as their male counterparts..."

"Join us, Ladies," Zack's robotic tone goaded. "Join the right side, or you will be destroyed."

"You're on the wrong side, Zack!" Kimberly's pained voice pierced Jason's skull. "This shouldn't be happening, you were on the right side, but Rita has brainwashed you all!"

"Zordon must be stopped," Billy said. "His purposes are against us and he will be brought down!"

Jason watched as Kimberly reached up and removed her helmet. She threw the pink and white protective piece to the ground with frustration, before like Trini, she quickly un-morphed. She paced up towards him, and grabbed him on the shoulders. The red ranger glanced down at her indifferently, aiming his steel gaze to her stricken eyes.

"Listen to me!" she pleaded, shaking his shoulders with each word. "Rita is destroying the world, not Zordon! She wants to destroy the world and hurt all the people we love...everyone...think of your parents, Jason; think of them!" she practically shrieked.

He stared at her, and he felt as though a voice was choked in his throat, yet he was unable to speak.

She let him go and stepped towards Zack and Billy. "They want to kill everyone on earth…your parents! Zack, what if they hurt Angela? Your parents and your sisters? And Billy, what about your father? He cares about you so much!"

Jason felt the numbing in his mind slowly strip away with her pleading words, as if she had flicked a switch on inside of him and brought him literally to his senses.

"Ki-Kimberly," the red ranger suddenly stammered. "Kimberly, what..." he inhaled and exhaled, shaking the numbing in his skull. "What's happening?"

"Jason!" she exclaimed, reaching for him and shaking him again. "Are you hearing me?"

"Don't listen to her, red ranger," Rita's domineering voice cut in. "She's speaking the words of your enemy."

"Stay out of it!" Kimberly snapped at the witch.

"Whoa, Jason, are you feeling that?" Zack's croaky voice spoke to him from beside him.

Jason nodded and glanced around the room. "I have control again," he murmured.

Kimberly jumped up and down on the spot, a smile gracing her face for the first time in what felt like forever. "You guys have beaten the spell!" she exclaimed with a squeal.

"I can't believe you brats managed to beat my spell!" Rita's voice pierced through the air. "This is not over!"

Jason turned quickly as he heard footsteps behind him and watched as the witch and her titan assistant disappeared before his very eyes.

"W-Where did they go?" he asked.

"JASON, ZACK, BILLY, TAKE A MOMENT TO GATHER YOUR CLARITY, YOU ARE COMING OUT OF THE CONTROL OF A POWERFUL SPELL," Zordon explained.

He watched as Trini ran over to him and gave him a hug, and pulled away as Kimberly's concerned voice broke through the moment of reunion.

"What do we do now?" the pink ranger pleaded.

"WE MUST SET COURSE FOR EARTH," Zordon announced. "THE TIME HAS COME. ALPHA, BEGIN THE PROCESS NOW, AND THEN TELEPORT THE RANGERS BACK TO ANGEL GROVE WHERE GOLDAR AND RITA ARE NOW ON A RAMPAGE."

Jason looked at his male friends. "Are you guys okay?" he asked.

Zack nodded, "Yeah, man, although I got myself a wicked headache...I can't believe we were put under a spell..."

Jason looked down, as the memories came flooding back to him, and he raised his head courageously to his best friend. "Zack, I'm really sorry for attacking you like that..."

"It's okay," Zack assured him. "Seriously, that weird, wacko stuff was not your fault..."

"I'm so glad you guys are okay," Trini spoke up. "I was so worried that things would only get worse."

Jason looked up at Zordon. He knew his outer expression was clearly reflecting the crushed emotions he was harboring from the events that had taken place before him. "Zordon, I'm so sorry I didn't believe you!" he apologized. "I've completely failed!"

"JASON, NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO GIVE UP. AS CLEAR LEADER TO YOUR TEAMMATES, YOU MUST KNOW THAT I AM IMMENSELY PROUD OF YOU AND YOU HAVE CERTAINLY NOT FAILED. YOU ALL OVERCAME A NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION USING YOUR STRENGTH AND BELIEF IN SERVING THE GREATER GOOD. BUT, NOW IS THE TIME FOR YOU TO COMPLETE YOUR FIRST MISSION. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO NOW TELL YOU OF AN ADDITION TO YOUR BASIC FIGHTING POWERS. PLEASE VIEW THE VIEWING GLOBE AS I MAKE MY EXPLANATION."

Jason glanced at the circular screen, taken aback as he viewed what appeared to be large robots of different appearances flash across the screen.

"LORD ZEDD, AND NOW RITA, HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO CHANGE THE SIZE OF THEIR FIGHTING FORCES…THEY CAN TURN A CREATURE OF YOUR SIZE, INTO TWENTY TIMES THE SIZE. TO COUNTRERACT SUCH A SITUATION, YOU ALL HAVE THE ASSISTANCE OF FIGHTING ZORDS. THESE POWERFUL ROBOTIC ZORDS HAVE THE ABILITY TO COME TOGETHER TO CREATE THE MEGAZORD, AN ULTIMATE FIGHTING MACHINE."

"Giant robots?" Kimberly asked dubiously.

"CORRECT, KIMBERLY," Zordon responded. "CALL ON THE 'DINOZORD' POWER COMMAND AT YOUR TIME OF NEED AND I WILL THEN UNLOCK YOUR ZORDS FROM THEIR SECRET HIDING PLACE FOR USE IN BATTLE…YOUR ZORDS WILL ASSIST YOU WELL, AND I KNOW YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL WITH THEM."

"I apologize for the interruption, Zordon. I wanted to inform you that we are set for our new location on Earth," Alpha 5 announced.

"I don't understand, Zordon, why are you traveling to Earth?" Trini questioned.

"WE WILL ESTABLISH OUR OWN HEADQUARTERS AS A PROTECTIVE MEASURE AGAINST ZEDD'S ADVANCES," Zordon explained. "WE HAVE BEEN IN THE PROCESS OF FINDING A SECRET LOCATION FOR MANY EARTH MONTHS, AND ALTHOUGH RITA IS AWARE OF OUR PROPOSED LOCATION, WE WILL BE BETTER ARMED THERE."

Jason looked to his left as Alpha 5 approached them. "Are you ready to go back to battle, rangers?" the android asked them.

Jason nodded. "It's now or never," he stated confidently, watching as his friend's each nodded their head in agreement. "Kimberly and Trini; morph again and let's go and do this thing."

"MAY THE POWER BE WITH YOU," Zordon announced as the two girls morphed and they all grabbed their morphers, heading off to save the world.

* * *

Billy immediately assessed the scenery around him, as each ranger arrived at what appeared to be a desolate field on the outskirts of Angel Grove. He was feeling briefly confident after Zordon's speech to them back at their headquarters, but he was still hesitant about what would greet them at their next stage of conflict. 

"I believe this is what you call 'round two' rangers!"

They each spun around as they heard Rita's voice behind them. The witch raised her golden staff and Billy glanced nervously towards Jason for instructions.

He watched as the red ranger immediately assumed his signature kata, and each of his teammates quickly followed his lead to assume their own positions. Surprising himself, Billy automatically moved into a defensive stance, as their leader finally addressed their nemesis.

"If you think you're gonna win by tricks, Rita, you've got another thing coming!" Jason announced.

"Yeah, if you wanna take us on, then go right ahead!" Zack challenged.

"We've got all the right power to stop you in your tracks!" Trini shouted.

"So get off our Earth, or else you'll get hurt," Kimberly called out.

Billy nodded, before adding, "You won't be able to stop us, because we're the-."

"Power Rangers!" They all called out in unison as they all moved into a group-kata stance.

Rita chuckled at their challenge. "Those moves might be scary in your world, humans, but I doubt you'll be able to even scratch my smart comeback as he steps on you all before walking over your fragile city!" she screeched, slamming the bottom of her staff into the ground. "Magic Wand; make my Goldar grow!" she screamed.

Billy held his breath, his eyes widening as he watched ruby electricity expel from the magic wand. The energy pulsated through the ground, sending the rangers stumbling backwards as the earth cracked nearby from its force.

"Whoa guys!" he heard Kimberly yell out loud.

Billy struggled to his feet and watched with a mix of astonishment and trepidation, as the golden titan that had intruded on Zordon's spacecraft was now the size of the tall skyscrapers of the city to the far west.

"Look at that guy! He's huge!" Jason stated loudly.

Goldar stepped ineptly towards them, and they each held onto each other as the ground below them rocked violently with his movement.

"We need Dinozord power, now!" Jason called out.

Billy watched apprehensively as a loud noise rang through the air, and the clouds above them circulated in an unnatural way. He turned as he heard a ferocious energy sound from behind him, and the rangers gazed in astonishment as they viewed their Dinozords for the first time.

Each zord was a symbol of it's own beast. The mastodon was large and stocky, its sleek and powerful black armor offset by two large and confronting silver tusks. The saber-toothed tiger zord was agile and fast, sprinting beside Billy's own zord, the triceratops. The blue zord moved close along the ground, its narrow front framed by its trademark horns while the pterodactyl zord screamed as it sliced through the air above.

Billy couldn't believe his eyes, however, as he witnessed the magnitude of the tyrannosaurus zord. The red zord stood tall above its comrades, and Billy couldn't help but be astonished by its truly resilient appearance.

"All right guys, let's do this!" Jason told them.

They each bent their knees, and launched themselves through the air towards their corresponding zord. Billy found himself almost immediately sitting in the control pit of his zord, and held his breath as he gazed around the flashing control panel.

"This is Jason, everybody log on!" he heard Jason's voice announce through the zord's communication system.

"Zack here, this is kickin'!"

"Billy logged on, all system's ready to go," Billy announced swiftly.

"Trini here, ready to rock!"

"Kimberly here…hey, cool stereo!"

"Megazord Power, on!" Jason's voice quickly announced.

Billy watched as a combination of buttons illuminated before him, and he quickly responded, by pressing them in order. He watched as the various metal limbs of his zords transformed, and like a magnet, he was pulled towards the tyrannosaurus zord. Almost succinctly, he found himself sitting in a larger cockpit, and smiled as he saw each of his teammates sitting beside him.

Gazing through the windscreen of their cockpit, the ground was a tremendous fall below. Billy knew they must have successfully linked their individual zords together to form the larger robotic fighting machine that Zordon had showed them on the viewing globe.

"All right guys, let's see what this baby can do!" Jason stated loudly to all his friends.

"What do we do?" Kimberly asked from opposite Billy.

"Press the corresponding buttons on the panel in front of you, Kim, and that will initiate the power blaster attack," Billy explained quickly.

The rangers all quickly engaged their individual panels and the blue ranger gazed with anticipation as they sent a shower of power energy blasts towards the giant Goldar. The energy attack sent the titan stumbling backwards, but he regained his stance and glared at them with contempt.

"You'll have to do better than that!"

"Okay guys; let's power up!" Jason announced, as his hand slid a silver stick upwards. "Initiating Megazord battle mode!"

The command quickly and smoothly transformed their united fighting machine into a taller, and more mobile automaton. It had sturdy and steel arms and legs, and matched the height of the enlarged titan they were engaged with.

Before they could respond, Goldar came bounding towards them. They each individually commanded their corresponding area of the Megazord to fight back, and they engaged the golden warrior in varying combinations of punches and kicks. Billy struggled to keep himself in his seat as they were rocked about, but let his concentration on the task at hand distract him from any fear he was feeling.

_This is astounding_, Billy thought over and over to himself, _I can't believe I am truly witnessing this, nor that I'm actually actively partaking in this! _

"Guys, we're going good!" Zack suddenly observed, as Goldar once again stumbled backwards.

"He is so going down!" Kimberly commented and Billy nodded, for once agreeing with his friend's casual comment.

"You may have won the battle, but the war has only just begun!" Goldar howled at them, before he quickly disappeared from before them.

"Where did he go?" Trini asked.

"We did it!" Kimberly shrieked.

"Awesome, guys! We did it!" Jason announced.

* * *

Trini glanced around the familiar surrounding, her happiness and relief shining through, as she stood speechless with a toothy grin on her face. She watched as her friends stood beside her, each excited voice speaking over the other as they recited the events that led to an adventure they never thought they would experience. 

They were now superheroes, and they had been victorious in protecting their planet. It was historical and an amazing feat which Trini couldn't begin to comprehend. She knew it would be a long time until it would settle in.

"WELCOME TO YOUR COMMAND CENTER, RANGERS."

Zordon's announcement broke through their excited chatter and they quickly quieted and gave their full attention to their mentor.

"MORE IMPORTANTLY, WELL DONE AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SUCCESS IN FORCING BACK RITA REPULSA'S ATTACK. IN PARTICULAR, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SUCCESS IN USING YOUR NEW ZORDS."

"They were amazing, Zordon!" Trini beamed.

"I can't believe it!" Kimberly added with a squeal.

"YOUR SUCCESSFUL FIRST MISSION IS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF WHAT I HOPE WILL BE A TRIUMPHANT FORCEFIELD AGAINST LORD ZEDD'S EVIL PLANS. I HOPE THAT WITH YOUR TEAM SPIRIT AND HONOR THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO BE A SUCCESSFUL FIGHTING FORCE. YOU HAVE PROVEN TODAY THAT YOU ARE BEYOND CAPABLE IN YOUR ABILITIES TO BE RANGERS. WHILE I REALIZE IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME FOR YOU ALL TO BECOME ADJUSTED TO YOUR NEW POSITIONS, THERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT THINGS I NEED TO TELL YOU ABOUT YOUR POWERS."

They all nodded and waited patiently for him to continue.

"IN ORDER TO KEEP THE PROTECTION OF THE POWER, THERE ARE THREE RULES WHICH YOU MUST UPHOLD OR ELSE LOSE THE PROTECTION OF YOUR POWER. FIRSTLY, YOU MUST NEVER USE YOUR POWER FOR PERSONAL PURPOSES...SECONDLY, YOU MUST USE YOUR POWERS TO ESCALATE A SITUATION UNLESS FORCED TO DO SO...AND FINALLY, YOU MUST KEEP YOUR RANGER IDENTIES A SECRET...NO ONE CAN EVER KNOW THAT YOU ARE POWER RANGERS."

"That's kind of a bummer," Kimberly commented. "Although I can totally see the chaos it would cause if the whole world knew..."

"INDEED, THAT IS TRUE KIMBERLY," Zordon agreed. "OVER TIME, YOU WILL ALL LEARN THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKING AS A TEAM, AND IT WILL BECOME CLEAR TO YOU ALL THAT ALTHOUGH YOU ARE EACH SINGULARLY POWERFUL, ONLY AS A TEAM WILL WE CONTINUE TO BE VICTORIOUS. YOU PROVED TODAY BY OVERTHROWING RITA'S MAGIC THAT TOGETHER YOU CAN OVERCOME THE MOST DIFFICULT OF SITUATIONS."

Trini blinked as an important question entered her mind. "Zordon, how do we know that the magic isn't still on our power coins?" she finally asked.

"TRINI, RITA WAS NEVER SUCCESSFUL IN POISONING YOUR POWER COINS. THAT IS AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK, AND SHE WAS ONLY SUCCESSFUL IN POISONING YOUR MINDS. USING THE POWER OF BELIEF IN THE GREATER GOOD ALLOWED FOR THE SPELL TO BE BROKEN."

Trini nodded her head with relief. At least she could relax a little now that she knew they were no longer in any sort of danger.

"Hey, where are we now, anyway?" Zack asked out loud.

Alpha 5 turned to face the group. "We are on Planet Earth," the robot assistant reported. "Our secret location is on the outskirts of Angel Grove. On preparing to set up our base here, we were able to find a hollow area in the mountain region where we could land our craft. Using our technology on board, we were able to enter the atmosphere in an invisible form, thus avoiding the attention of your fellow population. From the surface, out craft blends in with the surrounding landscape."

"No way!" Kimberly exclaimed in disbelief.

Zack shook his head, a stunned expression on his face. "This I have to see!" he announced, quickly turning and heading for the exit. The tiny door opened and revealed some stairs that led to a trapdoor, which opened up to the surface outside.

Trini and the others followed the black ranger closely behind, the group of friends coming to a standstill as they stared out at the desolate wilderness that surrounded the sunken Command Center. Silence fell between the teenagers as they each moved into their own quiet contemplation and reflections.

"This has been the most unbelievable day!" Zack suddenly spoke up, as he turned to look at Kimberly. "The next time you have a weird dream, give me some notice and I'll remember to sleep in!" he added in an amused tone.

"Yeah, but just think you might have missed out on being selected to save and protect the world," Jason mused, as they all huddled around into a small circle.

"I can't believe what we did today," Trini shared. "We're power rangers, guys, we're now superheroes...this is history changing…"

Zack lightly slapped Billy on the shoulder. "You must be in paradise, right Billy-man?" the black ranger joked.

Billy nodded. "Affirmative," he responded. "All though, the things that have occurred today have pushed the boundaries of science more than I ever could have predicted or anticipated."

"You did really good, by the way," Jason praised his genius friend. "Out of all of us, you must have been pretty nervous about fighting."

Billy shrugged, grateful, but clearly embarrassed by the special attention. "I appreciate your help today, Jason. Without your assistance, I don't know what benefit I would have been. I only wish I would have concocted a plan before Rita was able to successfully manipulate our minds."

"I still can't believe that we were actually put under that spell," Jason said. "I didn't think there was such a thing as spells and stuff...nor did I really think that there were aliens, witches or giant fighting robots!"

They all laughed lightly. "Yeah, well we all learnt a lot of things today," Kimberly stated, as Jason wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "I'm just..." she sighed as her sentence trailed off.

Jason frowned. "What? What is it, Kim?" he asked her gently.

She raised her gaze. "I'm just so sorry for leaving the way I did, I didn't want it to seem like I'm a coward...I just, I'm so sorry and if you guys don't want to trust me to be a power ranger or whatever, I will totally understand-."

"Kimberly," Zack cut in. "It's okay, girl...Hey, we all did crazy stuff...Remember, Jason tried to chop Trini and I in half, and Billy coat-hangered you..." he teased gently.

"Zack's right, Kim," Trini reinforced. "We have got to stick together. I'm sure we'll be learning a lot of things as time goes on, and we'll get better at it with time."

Kimberly smiled thankfully. "I'm just so glad that everyone it okay," she admitted. "The hard part now is working out how having secret superhero identities is going to affect our lives."

Trini nodded in agreement. "Speaking of which, how are we going to explain to our parents where we've been for the last six hours?" Trini asked her friends. In all their excitement it was certainly not something the yellow ranger had thought about, but now that the reality of the situation had sunk in, the predicament was certainly something they needed to start thinking about.

"I don't know, but we're about two to three hours past our mid-week curfew," Kimberly stated with a mock groan.

Jason laughed and then shook his head. "It'll be fine, we'll think of something," he assured her. "In the meantime, let's go back inside, I still have about a million questions about our new lives."

* * *

"Okay, she saw me at home before…if she asks where you were, just say you were at the youth center, or something," Kimberly suggested to Jason 

The two teenagers stood outside the front door of their house, whispering their way through how they were going to explain their absence to Jason's parents'. While neither enjoyed the concept of lying, Kimberly knew she had to be the one to think of something. Jason was completely incompetent at making things up, and she only hoped he would learn quickly.

They glanced at each other one more time, before Kimberly quietly opened the door, and they both walked in as casually as possible.

"Where have you two been?" Kath asked, a mix of anger and relief in her voice.

Kimberly quickly looked at Jason, neither of them knowing how to respond, despite talking over a plan only two minutes earlier.

"Um, I...after you told me that Jason was missing, I got worried and decided to look for him," Kimberly lied. She sighed. "I'm really sorry, I just got scared," she added quickly.

_Well that part is true, _Kimberly thought to herself.

She watched as the older woman's face softened, and Kath slowly lowered her hands from her hips. "Next time, please let me know, I was worried about the both of you," she said. "Where did you go to?"

"I was hiding," Jason suddenly spoke up, and Kimberly could notice the nervousness in his voice as he spoke.

"Yeah, I found him hiding," Kimberly repeated, taking over so that Jason could relax. "I found him hiding at...school," she quickly added.

_Good one, Kim! _She told herself with an inward smile.

Kath sighed and reached forwards, embracing the two teenagers at once, before she slowly pulled back. "With those creatures running around the streets, I was worried something had happened to you…I'm so relieved you're both okay…" She paused and smiled gently. "How about I get you guys something to eat?" she suggested. "I know it's late, but you really should eat something…they've announced that school's been called off for tomorrow…"

"Actually mom, I'm really tired," Jason admitted, "After everything that's happened, I'm not hungry...I might actually go to bed."

"Yeah, me too," Kimberly added. There was no way she could possibly sit around and have a 'normal' dinner when she had so much on her mind.

The two teenagers said their goodnights, and headed up to their end of the house, making their way into Jason's bedroom. Kimberly bounded through the door first and flopped down on his bed, reaching down and grabbing her morpher to hold above her face.

_Wow..._

Just seeing the glimmer of the etched coin above her made it seem all the more real to Kimberly. She smiled inwardly, thinking back to only hours before when she swore to herself that she'd never use her morpher again, and now she was excited, looking forward to the next opportunity she had to protect the world.

"I can't believe it," she whispered absentmindedly. "This is just so crazy..."

She lifted herself up on her elbows as Jason sat down beside her. "What'd ya thinking about?" she asked him, curious as to the expression on his face.

"I'm actually relieved," he admitted with a small smile. "I'm glad you were able to think of something to say to my mom…"

"Yeah, well get use to it Jason- we're gonna be in this situation again," Kimberly reminded him.

He nodded and glanced down at his own morpher, and she looked at her own, before she felt his hand on her knee.

"They're cool, aren't they?" she spoke up, assuming that was what he was going to talk about.

"Yeah," he murmured. "Actually, there's something else I wanted to say to you…something I meant to ask you before now…"

Kimberly frowned slightly as he looked at her with such seriousness. "What?" she asked him quietly.

"Saturday night, when you woke me up, I didn't ask you if you were okay…"

She smiled slightly and shook her head dismissively. "It's okay, Jase, I was fine…"

"Really?"

Again, she nodded and then stared at him thoughtfully for a moment. "Are you really tired now?" Kimberly asked him. She couldn't even fathom the chances of her going to sleep, and she felt she needed someone to talk to. She couldn't imagine Jason was telling the truth when he told his mother he wanted to go to bed.

He shook his head quickly. "No way, I don't think I'm gonna be able to sleep for a week," he replied, as he leaned over and switched the television on. The two teenagers assembled themselves back against the bed head, watching with curiosity as the news report unfolded on the screen before them.

Kimberly's eyes suddenly widened as a flash of rainbow colors flew across the footage on the screen, followed by a recording of the battle between Rita, Goldar and their zords. They were on television!

"Oh my gosh!" she squealed, grabbing Jason's arm with excitement.

"That's us!" he added with enthusiasm.

They stared speechless, turning their heads suddenly as they heard a knock at the bedroom door and it quickly opened up.

"I thought you two were tired?" Kath asked from the doorway, before motioning to the television they were watching. "I was going to tell you to turn on the news, they're showing footage of the group of superheroes who saved us from the alien invasion today..."

Kimberly exchanged a quick look with Jason, both of them trying to hide the glee in their eyes.

Jason cleared his throat. "Yeah, pretty amazing," he stated.

Kimberly nodded her head in agreement. "Thank goodness for them," she agreed, "Hopefully next time they'll be here to protect us again."

* * *

"Hey, so how did you go?" Zack whispered in the phone. 

"Fine…I didn't know what to say, so I told my mom I was at Billy's…hopefully she won't talk to his dad too soon…" Trini replied from her end of the phone.

"Hang on a sec," Zack said to her.

He covered the phone receiver with his hand, and twisted his head around towards the constant racket that was starting to get on his nerves. Usually he was use to the screeching and unnecessary giggling from his younger sisters, but tonight his brain needed a moment of peace so he could gather his thoughts.

"Mom, will you please tell Debbie to turn the tv down?" Zack pleaded with his mother, who was sitting on the couch nearby.

"Honey, you should see this!" his mother exclaimed, her hand outstretched towards the television in the far corner. "They're showing those superheroes on the news!"

Zack stared at the screen as his mouth slightly opened. He instantly clamped down on the urge to burst out with a comment, and instead raised the phone receiver back to his ear.

"Trini? Are you there?" he asked quietly.

"Zack, they're showing the power rangers on the news," Trini replied equally quiet. She was obviously watching the news at home and was viewing the same footage as him.

"That is freaking awesome," he stated. "Man, check out our zords! They're like from a movie or something!"

"Shhh!" Trini reminded him, giggling slightly. "You don't want your mom to hear you!"

Zack took his eyes off the screen, and returned his attention back to his phone call. After teleporting back home after the most amazing seven hours of his life, Zack had dismissed his disappearance to his mother with an "I was at the Youth Center" story, which she seemed to accept. He went to his room and stared at his morpher half a dozen times, before he couldn't contain his excitement anymore. He had to share it with someone.

So, he called Trini, knowing that she was probably in need of sharing her burden of thoughts with someone as well.

"I wonder when we're gonna, you know, be called into action again?" Zack whispered into the phone. He wasn't overly worried about his mother or sisters hearing his conversation, as they were all making too much noise to even think about his.

"I don't know," Trini responded. "I don't want Rita to attack Earth again, but Zordon did say it will happen again…"

Zack grimaced as a faint beeping sounded on the phone, and he realized there must have been another caller trying to reach the Taylor household.

"Ah, Trini, I gotta go. There's another caller trying to reach us," Zack explained regretfully.

"Okay, Zack, I'll speak to you tomorrow," Trini said, before she hung up.

"Hello?" Zack greeted to the new caller.

"Good evening, Zack," a familiar voice greeted him from the other end.

"Billy-man! How ya doing?" Zack asked the blue ranger with enthusiasm.

"I'm good," Billy replied. "I was viewing some interesting segments on the television, and so I thought I would inform you that they have footage of our battle on the news."

"Yeah, I saw it," Zack told him, "Amazing stuff…"

"Except for the damage Rita and Goldar caused to the various central structures in the city," Billy stated in a serious tone. "They've estimated that the damage bill will run into six figures, taking into account the insurance claims from affected citizens."

Zack felt his enthusiasm somewhat dampen with his friend's reminder, but he quickly replaced his dark thoughts with something that he knew summed up their entire effort that afternoon.

"Yeah, it's awful what happened to the city, but think about this Billy: even though a lot of buildings were toppled in the city, we saved most of Angel Grove…if not the entire country…the entire world," he reminded Billy. "We did a good thing today."

"Yes, I am in agreement with you there, Zack. I suppose it is just alarming to see the damage that Rita and Lord Zedd could create to the planet as a whole."

"Well, we kicked their butts on our first go," Zack shared with a smile. "They're gonna have to do a lot of practice before they next try to shake their wacko stuff on us again."

"Zachary! Off the phone, please, you kids need to go to bed now!"

Zack groaned at his mother's words and said goodbye to Billy reluctantly. He turned around in time to catch his sister who came bounding towards him. Zack caught the five year old in his arms and spun her around, unable to hold back a smile from her.

"Zacky, I saw superman on the tv and he had this robot that fought the bad guys," Debbie gushed.

Zack laughed at his little sister's retelling of his afternoon, thinking about how he wished he could really share with his family just how amazing the day truly had been.

* * *

Lord Zedd groaned unrelentingly in the darkness of his chamber. His tall, fleshy body sat almost depleted as his metal tipped fingers stroked his chin. He glanced towards his reflection in the metallic wall nearby and then quickly moved his vision. 

Zordon had been the cause for Zedd's deathly appearance all those years ago. The emperor had managed to cover much of his face, limbs and chest cavity with protective armor, but much of his skinless body still remained exposed. He was by no means weak in appearance, however, and he knew that his frightening facade did wonders for him. He just detested remembering how it happened.

It was because it was just another reminder. It had been thousands of years since he had lost. How could he fall to Zordon of all beings! It was the galactic warrior's fault that Zedd was left looking as the ghastly looking being that he was. He deserved revenge against the sage, but now everything had taken a turn.

No, this time, he would not win as easily as usual.

The Emperor was not used to the scathing of a loss, and the disgust that was still in his mouth was something he didn't want to have to swallow. He had entrusted his servants to fulfill a fail-proof plan, and they had failed him. Not only had their loss today set back his plans to succeed the humanoid planet, but it had left their team reeking of embarrassment and incompetence in the way in which they fled.

_That's what happens when you trust anyone else to do a job, _he reminded himself.

He had no doubt in his mind that he couldn't ultimately trust his success while he was depending on the sorceress to secure it for him. After all, her allegiance had been one of convenience, and was certainly not one by choice. He had hoped that her previous allegiance with the humble Zordon would have ensured success when it came to destroying the intergalactic master, but Zedd realized with this latest defeat that he had put too much trust into the hands of Rita Repulsa.

She was a measly witch, hanging on by her fingernails to taste the glory of success for herself. He doubted even when she was on the side of good that she was selfless in any way. He had put up with her embittered whining and incompetence for over fifteen earth years, and he knew it wasn't just her conversion to evil that turned her into the sourpuss that she was.

_No, she must have always been that way..._

That was the only way Zedd could have explained how easily the witch had turned to the dark side. It was like candy to a child, and their consummation all those years ago was enough to wash any goodness from her soul. She had been stripped and left as a wrinkled and twisted old sorceress that Zedd could barely stand to look at. That was his ultimate regret, something he would have to live with.

Zedd looked out of his thoughts as he heard the sounds of depleted footsteps approach his location.

He held his head high as his general and servant entered through, their heads hung low in a display of shame. He concealed his snigger and raised a hand, his muscular fingers gesturing them to approach his throne.

"Come," he summoned to them in a low voice.

He watched with mild amusement as they both bowed before him. His delight however was short lived as disgust quickly took back over.

"So, tell me Rita how it was even possible that a plan that has been in place for years was foiled today?" he demanded.

She pursed her lips. "Zordon was too powerful-." she began.

"I don't want that excuse!" he barked, leaning forward and slamming the end of his staff on the ground below with anger. "You were in Zordon's command center! You had three of his warriors in our control, and yet you did nothing with them!" He growled under his breath and shook his head. "You failed me..."

"Oh evil one, if I may speak, I would like to remind you that we were successful in retrieving the green power coin," Goldar spoke up. "That was the priority of our mission and we knew we had to secure it in our possession before we could launch an attack."

Zedd stared at the titan thoughtfully and nodded his head. "Yes. At least you can rectify your failure with that one success," Zedd agreed. "I am still confused as to why Zordon surrendered the coin so soon."

"To protect his other power brats," Rita scowled. "Zordon's selflessness has always been his ultimate downfall, and while we may have been caught off guard today, I can assure you that it will lead to his ultimate destruction!"

"How can we rectify this situation, my lord?" Goldar asked.

Zedd narrowed his gaze. "Rita, you are to return to our moon palace...I don't care what measures you take, but ensure that Zordon and his measly rainbow colored misfits are destroyed!"

Rita bowed her head. "It will be my pleasure..."

"Finster will accompany you, as will Goldar," he finished. He dismissed them with a hand gesture and sat back in his throne as he watched them turn and leave his chambers.

_You better not fail me again, Rita, _Zedd thought to himself.

---

**_Next in Episode 9 "Making a splash":_** A fun day at school turns into chaos and the new rangers must work together as a team to protect Angel Grove once more, but under difficult circumstances.

_A/N#2: As I've stated in the past, anything that I may have not explained in terms of how something happened or why a certain way, etc, may have been done that way for a purpose, and may be explained in future chapters. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!_


	10. Ep9: Making a Splash

**REBIRTH OF THE LEGACY **

By Chanelle Summer

**Making a Splash - Episode 9 **

_A/N: As always, thankyou to everyone who has been reviewing! I like to know what people think, it's essential so you know what readers take away with them from each chapter. Anyway, I hope you all like this one, it's very much a 'crazy' episode so hopefully you all keep up with it.  
_

* * *

**_Angel Grove High School - Gymnasium _**

**_Thursday 10th February 1994 _**

**_Three days after the first attack from Rita Repulsa on Angel Grove…_**

Trini stepped back as she cast her eyes up towards the banner and raised her thumb.

"That looks great!" she called up to one of her committee members. "Let's put up the other banner over there!" she quickly added, extending a hand to point to the opposite side of the large gymnasium.

Her partner nodded and Trini made her way down the bleachers, grateful there was someone else there to do the high climbing. She picked up her clipboard that she had left on the front bench and glanced her eyes over it. Knowing that they had little time to get organized, she certainly didn't want to miss any important details.

The following day would be a big one, not just for their school, but also for the entire community and the Angel Grove precinct as a whole. The ten major high schools around the district would be holding charity fundraisers in an effort to raise funds for the structural devastation incurred just days earlier by Rita Repulsa's maiden attack.

So to Trini, the fundraising day was more than just important to her. She felt a sense of responsibility and the necessity to do everything she could so that their school raised as much money as possible. It was completely personal.

"Hey, need any help?"

Trini glanced up from the list in front of her and smiled at Jason.

"Sure. I'm sure Mr. Caplan could find you something to do," Trini replied with a small smile.

Jason nodded, but his eyes were elsewhere, seemingly wondering around the large complex.

"Are we going to fit everyone in here?" he asked her, as he finally settled his gaze onto her.

Trini nodded her head and passed a sheet of paper from her clipboard to further her point. "Mr. Caplan says we have enough space for every student. Obviously, everyone has a choice of donating some money to attend the day, or else there will be classes set up for those who don't want to…" she made a face. "I don't think it's likely that people would rather go to classes."

"So, who are we playing first?" Jason asked, moving around so he was glancing over her shoulder.

Trini moved her index finger down the list and tapped on the name that caught her attention. "You guys are playing Aaron Capigli's team, but you guys should win hands down," she said.

Jason grinned. "Is that because you think you're a good coach, or because you actually think we're good?" he teased.

"Basketball isn't my thing. Without me on the team, you, Zack, Kimberly and Billy have a great chance," she stated. "Speaking of which, where are they?" she asked, wondering where their other friends were that afternoon.

Jason dropped down on the bleacher before her. "They're volunteering help at the animal shelter on Swift Street," he replied. "Because of what happened, they're moving the shelter just outside the city."

Trini felt slightly depleted at Jason's reminder. "Did a lot of animals die?" she asked him, her voice so low she was almost whispering.

Jason shook his head. "They were really lucky…Zack reckons he's gonna try and persuade his mom to adopt a dog. I told Kimberly not to even try that with my mom…I think she wants a cat."

Trini smiled at Jason's comment. She was glad at least that despite the circumstances, they had each tried to contribute to rebuilding their city and had been positive about it. Since the attacks on the Monday, they had only had two half days of school, and the rest of the time they had spent in the city, volunteering. Trini felt frustrated that because of their age, they weren't taken very seriously, but they helped where they were allowed.

"Are you two going to help put the banners up, or do you just plan to sit around all day?" Mr. Caplan walked up them.

Trini concealed a frown and quickly nodded her head. "Of course we'll help," she told the school principal as she leaned down and pulled Jason up by the arm.

* * *

_**Angel Grove High School - Gymnasium **_

_**Friday 11th February 1994**_

The noise thundered through the complex.

Zack grinned as he took a sip from his water bottle, his dark eyes following the ball that was being passed effortlessly along the court at the center of the gymnasium. The two sophomore teams playing were fairy even in skill level and it was creating an amazing atmosphere amongst the crowd of a thousand plus students and teachers watching them.

He glanced down at his watch and noticed it was already eleven o'clock. He was longing the minutes to pass, his excitement building as he looked forward to the next match that would be played. Already, Jason, Kimberly, Billy and himself had won two basketball matches during the charity event and they were into the semi-finals. The black ranger loved that he was playing basketball, but more especially, he loved the way they were playing it that day.

Because it was a charity event, the numerous games of modified basketball were all being played with a twist. Some of the teams were dressed up in bulky, weighted down costumes, while other games were played where each team had to do something embarrassing every time the other team scored a point. It had caused a mass amount of laughter amongst the crowd, something that was certainly needed after the week Angel Grove had just lived through.

"You guys should get ready," Trini whispered to Zack from beside him.

Zack looked to his other side as Kimberly leaned over. "I don't know how I am supposed to wear one of those outfits and run around the court…Tara told me they weigh like thirty-five pounds," she stated, slightly scrunching her face up.

Zack grinned at the thought of the petite pink ranger trying to play basketball in the oversized costume.

"Here's your uniforms," Mr. Edwards stated, as he walked up to where the five friends were seated on the front bleacher.

The physical education teacher extended the bulky garments towards them and they each reluctantly grabbed one. Trini helped Kimberly strap her outfit on and the pink ranger dropped down on the bleacher dramatically when she was done.

"I think you guys might have to drag me around," she stated, shaking her head, before looking over at Trini. "Any chance you want to play in my spot?" she asked her best friend with a hopeful twinkle in her eye.

Trini shook her head and laughed slightly. "Believe it or not, I think you'll still be able to play better in that then I would without the extra weight!" she stated with a smile.

Zack finished tying up the last strap of his outfit, and looked up as the final time bell rang and the entire crowd erupted into cheering. The black ranger shuffled his feet around beneath him, taking a deep breath as he tried to prepare himself for the game ahead.

"Zack, are you okay? You look like you're going to pass out," Kimberly commented, as she stood up beside him.

He shook his head. "Nuh, I'm fine, I'm just pumped, you know? This is so exciting!"

The black ranger turned and gave Trini a high five before he and his three teammates made their way onto the center court. He concealed a chuckle as he watched both the pink and blue rangers' practically waddle to their starting positions, and then moved his attention to their competition across the length of the court. The four opposing students were dressed in head to toe costumes, and he couldn't see their faces.

_I should have asked who we were playing, _he thought to himself.

The whistle blew and the crowd erupted as the game began. Zack took the opportunity to move for the ball immediately, grateful that his feet were moving freely beneath the heavy outfit. He grinned as Jason got the ball, and then Billy, before Kimberly managed to swerve an opposing player to grab the ball for herself.

Zack moved towards her, calling out her name to pass to him, when one of the opposing players barged towards him, sending him towards the ground. The impact was padded by his costume, but the silky exterior material sent him sliding a few feet across the floor, before he managed to pick himself up.

_What was that about?_ Zack thought, slightly annoyed at the incident. He wasn't angry at the player, but more so he was embarrassed that he'd fallen over in front of the school at that moment.

The game resumed, and Zack cheered for his teammates as they scored three consecutive points. He gave Jason a passing high-five, and then watched as the opposing team began towards them, flying at an impossible speed.

Zack instantly broke into a sprint, keeping his eyes directed for the player with the ball. He nearly reached him as Billy came from the other side and swerved before the mystery player. Zack watched the scene for a moment, and then relaxed as the umpire blew his whistle for what seemed like the thirtieth time in the match.

"Do these…guys know…how to play?" Zack panted, as he stepped up beside Billy during the brief break in play.

_Man, these guys are tough,_ Zack thought to himself as the game resumed and the ball suddenly headed straight for Kimberly's head.

* * *

Trini gasped and unconsciously stood up from her seat as the leather bound ball seemingly slammed directly into Kimberly's face. The impact sent the pink ranger backwards and she fell flat onto her back, lying motionless. 

"Kimberly!" Trini gasped out, as she raised her hands to her mouth. She ran onto the court and dropped down onto her knees beside her fallen friend, moving her hand to touch Kimberly's cheek.

"What was that about?" Jason's voice came out angrily.

Trini glanced up at him, relieved that Zack was there to keep him settled as he glared across at the player who had thrown the ball. The player remained silent at his angry outburst and Trini shared a quick look with Billy, before she glanced back down to Kimberly.

"Can somebody please help me up," Kimberly muttered, as she squinted her eyes in reaction to the bright lights above.

Trini moved out of the way as the school nurse knelt down beside her friend, and helped her into a seated position.

"What happened?" Trini asked Zack, as she kept her eyes on Kimberly. The pink ranger was holding her nose with her fingers, and Trini could see the smudges of blood on her hand.

"I don't know, but that guy over there threw the ball directly at Kim," Zack stated, a look of frustration on his face.

Jason stepped up beside Trini. "Who are those guys that we're playing, anyway?" he asked her seriously.

"They're a mixed group," Trini replied honestly.

"Well, they are sure taking this game way too seriously," Zack commented. "They're playing rough."

Trini watched as Jason helped Kimberly stand up and the umpire called for time out while the two teams regrouped. Trini put an arm around Kimberly's shoulders' as the two of them sat down on the front bleacher, their three male teammates remaining standing before them.

"Oh my gosh, does it look bad?" Kimberly whined, her hand still up to her nose.

Trini shook her head, raising her hand to brush Kimberly's messy bangs from out of her face. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah," Kimberly huffed slightly. "It's just a blood nose."

"Trini, is there any way you can come and play in Kim's spot?" Jason asked, his arms folded over his chest.

Trini shrugged. "Of course I can, I mean if you can't Kim-."

"No way am I letting those losers kick me out of the game," the pink ranger cut her off, lowering her hand from her face.

"Are you sure?" Billy asked, looking at her doubtfully.

Kimberly widened her eyes, an expression of impatience on her face dismissing their concerned gazes.

Trini felt restless as she watched her friends return to the court and the umpire blew his whistle. For a minute or two, the game seemed to have relaxed from the tense moments before timeout, but gradually she could see the roughness creep back into play. It seemed that it didn't matter who had the ball, but someone was always tripping over, and it wasn't anything to do with the costumes they were playing in.

"Mrs. Appleby, they are being really rough," Trini said to the teacher who was seated beside her.

The multi-subject teacher nodded her head, the concern evident in her creased features. "This does seem to be getting out of control," the older lady conceded. "Perhaps I might go and mention something to Mr. Edwards."

Trini nodded, but her attention was cut short as the umpire's whistle blared through the game, tearing it down to a standstill. She watched as the umpire approached one of the players on the opposing side and she could see that the teacher was unhappy at whatever it was they had done.

The yellow ranger relaxed her shoulders slightly and looked over at Kimberly, offering her a smile of encouragement. She blinked as Kimberly's smile faded and her dark eyes widened, causing Trini to follow the direction of her look of distress.

Before anyone could do anything, the fully costumed player seemingly erupted into a flash of light as they reached out and grasped the umpire around the neck.

* * *

It took a matter of five seconds before all chaos erupted. 

Jason was literally counting it in his head, his heart beat racing as the deadly situation came to full view right before him. He watched as the umpire's face turned several shades of red, the lethal grasp around his neck a strength that was only matched by the bizarreness of the creature causing it.

The player had literally morphed from humanoid form into some kind of creature. The monster's form was chunky and solid, made completely of what appeared to be sand. Jason was mesmerized by it's metamorphosis right before him, before it dawned on him what was happening.

The opposing team were not made up of students, but were in actuality creatures sent from their new nemesis.

As the newly appeared creature continued to hold the umpire, his 'teammates' instantly transformed into putties, their gray and black bodies bringing forth the eruption that suffocated the large complex.

"Oh my Gosh!"

"It's those aliens!"

The screams pierced above the general thumping of feet pounding down the high rows of temporary bleachers. It was as Jason watched the sand creature suddenly disappear along with the putties and his physical education teacher slump to the ground, that the panic erupted within his own mind.

"Jason!" Trini was the first to the fallen teacher, her hands hurrying over his body in a frenzy.

The red ranger quickly scurried towards him, his mind spinning uncontrollably as the screams of students flooding from the gymnasium peaked at a high.

"Is he okay?" Kimberly gasped, her body leaning over from where she stood.

Jason nodded his head. He could see Mr. Edwards's eyelids' fluttering and the milky color of his skin had returned to his cheeks.

"Guys, we have to do something!" Zack stated, his left leg tapping nervously beneath him. "Seriously, we have like a matter of seconds before people start tripping on each other."

"But we don't have our morphers…" Kimberly whispered. "They're in our lockers…"

Jason gulped and nodded his head, raising his steel gaze to each of his friends.

"Let's get everyone out of here," he ordered.

They nodded and Jason furiously began to pull at the straps of his bulky outfit. He watched as Zack and Billy quickly followed suit, Trini helping Kimberly with the same manner of urgency.

Jason discarded the costume on the ground and broke into a sprint, heading for the main exit. He stopped, frustration burning in his eyes as he reached the back of the mass of screaming students, which seemed to have stopped moving.

"Why is no one moving?" Kimberly asked, her shoulders slumped in desperation.

"Everyone's trying to get out at once," Zack commented from beside her.

Jason stared ahead for a moment and then quickly shook his head. "No," he stated. "It's not that…something must be blocking the exit."

He stared around at the hopeless situation, his eyes scanning for some kind of answer when a loud voice boomed through the gym.

"Students! Remain Calm! The exits are blocked! Please, stop running and return to your seats immediately!"

Jason heard Mr. Caplan's announcement loud and clear, yet it was plainly obvious that the majority of students were unmoved by his plea over the speakerphone. It was only after three announcements that clumps of students moved back toward the bleachers in a daze.

"Quick, we have to get out of here," Zack said, grabbing hold of Jason's red muscle shirt as if to pull him forward.

"How?" Kimberly asked, slamming her hand against her side in anger. "They won't let us out of here."

"But we have to!" Zack pushed, stepping towards his friends. "If we don't get our power morphers from our lockers, we are in serious trouble ," he whispered.

"Sit down on the bleachers, please!" Mr. Caplan practically barked at them as he approached them. "We will be safe as long as we remain in here."

Jason sounded a long, angry sigh and reluctantly turned around, heading for the first available bench. He sat down and rubbed his hands over his face as his teammates sat around him, their faces equally distressed.

"What are we going to do now?" Trini questioned.

"Maybe Zordon will think of something?" Zack suggested. "I mean, he never told us that Rita had strange monsters that were gonna try to destroy our school."

Kimberly leaned over. "There's no way for him to do anything while we're here," she reminded him in a rushed whisper. "Unless we get our power thingies, I don't know what Zordon expects us to do."

Jason threw his eyes towards the double exit doors, his heart continuing to race as he saw the mass of putties seemingly grouped up against the door from the other side.

_There's no way out of here…they have us surrounded…_

* * *

"Ahhh yes!" 

Rita straightened herself up, a smirk creeping along her face. She kept her fingers clasped around the telescopic device before her and then hunched over once more. How she loved watching her plan unfolding up, close and personal. She would have to thank her chief scientist Finster for creating such a masterpiece.

It had taken her a mere two days to decide on her plan to destroy the rangers this way. And not only was her delightfully sickening plan actually working, but it was doing so far too easily, every unfolding moment more enjoyable to watch than the last.

"Look at them," she murmured to herself.

She had been more than delighted when she'd watched the teenage humans gaze upon her newly created creature with such horror. They'd been taken by surprise and were completely unprepared for her latest scheme, a meager three days after her first.

Could they be so stupid? So much for calling themselves a policing force!

She smiled slyly again as she watched the leader of the rangers gaze around his surroundings with his last ounce of hope. She could already see his teammates had lost theirs minutes before hand, their faces solemn and downcast. She liked that they knew they were going to die.

_Zordon, you were slow again…now your pathetic spirit children are like caged animals, just waiting to be slaughtered! _

"My Queen, can we have a look, too?" came a voice from behind her.

Rita scowled at the interruption and straightened herself up, spinning around in annoyance. She cast her dark eyes on the impish and dimwitted creature and glared at him with clear contempt.

"Don't ever interrupt me again, got it!" she hissed at him.

The stumpy, light blue colored alien cowered slightly, raising his chunky hand to shield his face. His fingers rested on the helmet that sat on the protrusion of skull, and he gasped something that sounded like, "Oh no!"

Beside him, a taller, hybrid alien squatted him immediately. "See Squatt, I told you to keep your mouth shut!"

Rita growled at the exchange, before moving her attention as her servant entered her chamber.

"My empress, Lord Zedd has requested an update on our progress against the Power Rangers," Goldar announced, bowing his head slightly, before he came to a standstill.

Rita pursed her lips at the titan's announcement. It was as if the very mention of the powerful emperor was enough to taint the high she had been experiencing.

"You can tell Zedd that we are on target to take out the rangers," she finally reported. "Tell him that the power rangers are surrounded with no power morphers and the responsibility of innocent humans weighing on their minds. It'll be the last thing on their dimwitted brains before they are destroyed!" She added a cackle to the end of her speech and then quickly controlled herself. "Go!" she barked at Goldar.

The gilded beast seemed to grumble to himself, before he trudged out through the archway.

"My Queen, your plan is the greatest!" Squatt praised.

Rita smiled slyly at the bumbling creature. She could at least agree with him on that statement. She was looking forward to killing the power rangers and Zordon before claiming their planet for the empire.

Maybe that feat would finally prove to Zedd that she truly deserved to be his equal.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the command center, the alert alarm blared through the circular chamber incessantly. 

"Aie yi yi yi yi!" Alpha 5 cried as he attended to the dozens of flashing lights around the ring of switchboards.

"ALPHA, ATTEMPT TO PINPOINT THE EYE OF THE ENERGY OUTPUT," Zordon ordered his assistant from above.

"I'm trying, Zordon, but the levels are so high that they're almost causing our systems to overload!" The robot explained as his metal digits continued to move over the buttons with amazing speed. He glanced at the screen to his right and quickly coked his head in response. "I can confirm that the disturbance is in the suburb of Angel Grove, the location coming up as Angel Grove High School."

"IT IS JUST AS I THOUGHT," Zordon commented at the news. "BRING THE DISTRUBANCE UP ON THE VIEWING GLOBE SO I CAN MONITOR THE SITUATION."

"Right away, Zordon," Alpha 5 responded, immediately moving to fulfill the wise sage's request.

Zordon waited as the appropriate footage illuminated the sphere screen and he concealed his immediate concerns as the desperation of the situation came to light.

"Aie yi yi yi yi yi yi," Alpha 5 whined, as he grabbed his wide, metal head with both hands. "The location is surrounded by putties which appear to have barricaded the humans inside with no escape. The rangers are located inside the surrounded facility, but they don't appear to have their power coins and morphers on them!"

"ALPHA, YOU MUST CALM YOURSELF," Zordon ordered him gently. "I NEED YOU TO REMAIN COMPOSED DURING THIS CURRENT PREDICAMENT."

The android lowered his hands and a sigh seemed to escape his mouth-less head. "I-I I'm sorry," he apologized. "I don't know what came over me."

"YOU ARE CONCERNED FOR THE RANGERS' WELL BEINGS, AS AM I. THE CREATURE RITA HAS RELEASED IS A SPIRIT CREATURE, MADE ENTIRELY OF SAND. IT HAS THE ABILITY TO TRAVEL IN THE FORM OF A CLOUD, MAKING IT VERY FAST, HOWEVER I AM UNABLE TO DETECT ITS WEAKNESS. INITITATE A SCANNING SEQUENCE ON THE CREATURE IN AN ATTEMPT TO ESTABLISH ONE."

"Of course, Zordon. But even if we can determine one, we have no way of communicating such important information to the rangers. They are surrounded by too many other humans to teleport them out."

Zordon nodded. "YOU MUST CONTINUE WORK ON THE COMMUNICATION DEVICES THAT BILLY STARTED CONSTRUCTING YESTERDAY," he ordered Alpha 5. "AND IN THE MEANTIME WE CAN ONLY WATCH AND HOPE THAT THE RANGERS CAN WORK TOGETHER TO OVERCOME THIS DESPERATE SITUATION."

* * *

Back at the gymnasium, Kimberly continued to glance around the complex nervously, her brown eyes skimming over the mass of fear that filled the bleachers around her. She could hear the countless conversations amongst the hundreds of students, but despite the noise, the pink ranger's head seemed to be pounding even louder. 

Boy, did she have a headache. She gathered being slammed in the face by a basketball didn't help, but now she found herself sick with worry on how they were supposed to defeat Rita a second time around. Without their power morphers to help them, Kimberly's confidence at coming out of the predicament was crashing to an all time low.

Not even the adults, who stood in the center of the complex, seemed to have any idea on what to do. It wasn't as though they could just call the police, when there was at guess one hundred alien creatures to contend with. It seemed everyone in the complex was living on the hope that the mysterious power rangers would save the day again.

That fact was looking more and more unlikely, though, as the five new superheroes sat unbeknownst amongst them.

Kimberly looked up as she heard a loud banging that seemed to be coming from above them. She could see the outline of putties through the skylights in the roof above and she bit her lip.

"Damn, they're on the roof as well," Kimberly heard Zack murmur from the other side of Jason.

Kimberly unconsciously tapped her left leg nervously, looking at Jason when he placed a gentle hand on her knee, making her stop.

"Sorry," she apologized, sounding rather bleak.

He shook his head. "No, not that- I just thought of something," he explained.

"What?" she asked him, trying not to get her hopes up.

"The heating vents," he stated simply, as though three words could explain his entire idea.

"That's a formidable idea!" The blue ranger immediately spoke up from beside Zack. "The venting system runs through the complex to every room. If we're able to gain access through one of the vents, it's possible we'll be able to re-obtain our…" he paused and lowered his voice. "Power morphers," he finished in a whisper.

Kimberly was about to speak up in support, when Trini stood up from beside her without a word and began towards the teachers in the center of the court.

"What's she doing?" Kimberly murmured in confusion.

"Let's go," Zack said, reaching over to grab her hand.

She threw a quick look towards her best friend before she followed the black and red rangers around the corner of the bleachers and up the narrow walkway towards the back wall. Kimberly could hear the noise from the students rising, and she prayed that their departure wasn't noticed during the commotion.

"There," Jason suddenly stated as they became out of view and he stretched his arm up towards a square vent some nine foot up the wall. He brushed past Zack and dragged over a trashcan, sitting it beneath the vent. Kimberly watched as he stood on the metal bin and pulled at the vent cover several times, before it came loose.

Kimberly let out a slight noise in relief and Jason peered down at them both with a small smile. "I'll go first, then you Kim, and then you Zack," Jason stated.

Kimberly watched impressed, as the red ranger was able to use his strength to pull himself up to the opening, awkwardly shuffling himself into the narrow entrance. He easily helped her up and by the time all three were crawling away from the their entrance, Kimberly wanted nothing more than to go back. The tight tunneling was making her claustrophobic and it only became darker as they distanced themselves from the hole they came in.

"Please go faster," Kimberly murmured.

"I'm going as quick as I can," Jason stated from in front of her. "I can barely fit in here…hopefully the locker rooms should be near here."

"Hey, do you think that story about the creepy kid who lives in the vents at school is true?" Zack asked them light-heartedly from behind her.

His comment at least made her smile a little. "I hope not," she said honestly.

They came to a halt as Jason stopped crawling and Kimberly watched as he peered down a vent cover that he had come across.

"We're above the girl's locker room," Jason murmured, before he shuffled himself forward and awkwardly turned around so he was facing them. "Kim, you're going to have to go and get our morphers," he stated, although he didn't sound pleased by the idea.

Kimberly bit her lip slightly and nodded quickly. "Okay," she agreed. "But you guys are going to have to help me get down."

Kimberly helped Jason push at the vent cover until it unexpectedly came loose and tumbled to the ground below. Kimberly slid her feet forward so they were dangling through the opening and waited until Zack and Jason had each grabbed a solid grip around her arms.

They lowered her through the hole and she held her breath as they counted and released her. She landed slightly awkwardly as her feet slammed into the cold concrete below and she flashed them a forced smile.

"I'll be back," she stated, trying not to show she was nervous.

"Be careful," Zack whispered down to her.

She nodded and diverted herself through the well-known room of lockers, until she found herself at the exit of the change room. She thought it best to head for the boys' locker room first and made her way to number twenty-three, the locker that her three male teammates were sharing that day.

"Yes!" she whispered with excitement to herself as she found the three morphers inside, and she held on to them as she headed back towards the female locker room. Once she reached her own locker, she grabbed the pink and yellow morphers and the plastic satchel bag inside, putting the morphers in the bag so she wouldn't lose them.

Kimberly practically skipped back to Jason and Zack, and threw them a victorious grin from below.

"I got them!" she gushed, wriggling the bag in her hand to further her point.

"There were no putties or monsters down there?" Zack asked her.

She shook her head. "I didn't see any," she assured him.

"Good one, Kim!" Jason praised with a grin. "Move that bench and stand on it. You're going to have to jump and I'll have to try and grab your arms."

She nodded and followed his suggestion, balancing herself on the bench until she began to jump up and down, stretching her arms above her in an attempt to reach Jason's. The red ranger had stretched his own arms out the hole and it only took four attempts until he had a grip around Kimberly's left wrist.

"Okay, pull me up," Kimberly said to him.

She tightened her grip around the bag that was hanging in her right hand and looked down at the ground for a moment. She blinked several times as something caught her attention and before she had a moment to respond, the bench beneath her feet appeared to fly across the room.

A swirl of sand seemed to flow from the floor and like an illusion it formed together to make a monster, instantly grabbing Kimberly around the ankle.

* * *

Trini knew what she had to do. When Jason suggested his plan, she trusted that it would work, if only they weren't faced with the prospect of being forced to stay seated. It wasn't like her to go against teachers' orders', but she knew she had to be the distraction. 

Of course, she knew the moment she reached the teachers standing in the center of the room, that she would be disciplined for her actions. She was contending with embarrassment, feeling hundreds of eyes on her as the students started a frenzy of noise as she approached the huddle of staff.

"Trini, sit down please!" Mr. Caplan practically snapped at her.

She coward inwardly and then quickly shook her head. "I-I need to go to the bathroom, Mr. Caplan," she stammered, her eyes avoiding his.

Her science teacher sighed heavily. "Trini, you're just going to have to hold on. No one can exit the gym at the moment," Mrs. Garvin stated.

Trini sighed and nodded her head. She was trying to stretch out the exchange of words for as long as possible, knowing she had to allow her friends enough time to sneak away.

"O-okay then," she finally replied. "I'll just go and sit down then…"

Mr. Caplan nodded his head with forced satisfaction and Trini dragged her feet along the ground as she returned towards the bleachers. She smiled slightly with relief as she spotted Billy still sitting there, and she felt more than grateful that one of her friends had stayed with her.

"Did they get out all right?" Trini whispered to him as she sat beside him.

Billy nodded. "I'm assuming as much," he told her.

Trini pursed her lips a little, her eyes drifting towards the double doors nearby. Around them, students had begun to move around and the teachers were beginning to notice that none of them desired to stay seated for much longer.

"Let's have a look around," Trini told him, grabbing his arm and pulling him up. She could feel the glares of the teachers drilling her from behind, but she ignored them despite her usual reservations.

"Hey good-goodies, what'd ya think you're doing?" a sneering voice came from behind them.

Trini exchanged a quick look with Billy and they turned around, the yellow ranger concealing a frown as she came face to face with Bulk and Skull.

"I need to use the bathroom," Trini lied. "I'm trying to find a way to the locker room."

Bulk scoffed. "Didn't you hear Caplan, teacher's pet? No one can get out of here," he reminded her. "It seems those aliens have the gym completely surrounded."

Billy sighed, crossing his arms across his chest. "Since when have you two been so interested in preserving the interests of teachers?" he asked them with slight sarcasm.

Bulk mocked Billy's crossing of arms. "Listen, geek boy, there's no way that you two dweebs are gonna get out of here before us," he stated, stepping towards them. "No one is gonna see the power heroes before us!"

Trini blinked and concealed a giggle. _If only they knew!_

"How about we make a deal then," Trini suddenly spoke up. "If we work together and sneak out of here without the teachers noticing us, then we all get what we want…and you'll be guaranteed to see the power _rangers_ front row and center..."

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the girl's locker room, desperation had peaked at a high. 

"Oh man!" Zack burst out, his eyes widening in horror as he watched the formation of sand build from out of the floor. Within a matter of two seconds the sand had cemented together, and within the blink of an eye, the newly formed creature's solid hand was wrapped around Kimberly's ankle.

_How stupid are we, we should have all gone down and morphed already instead of trying to crawl back through the vents! _

"Let me go!" Kimberly yelped, her head snapping up towards where her two male friends were looking down from the entrance of the vent. "Guys, help!"

"Kimberly, pass the bag up!" Zack practically pleaded. He thought that if they could get their power morphers, they would at least be able to morph and protect themselves.

Kimberly was grunting, her free leg kicking at the creature's head as it seemingly stood still, it's formable face appearing to grin slyly at them.

"I-I," Kimberly stammered, before she yelped again and sent the sole of her shoe again to the creature's face. "I'll try and pass it up now-."

She let out a small shriek as the creature's free hand rocketed up and grasped the bag hanging from her hand. Zack could see the muscles in Kimberly's arm tense as she tried to hold onto the bag with all her strength, but it was soon clear that she was no match. The monster gave a final jerk and the bag was ripped from the pink ranger's desperate grasp, the momentum of the pull causing Jason to grunt.

"I can't hold on much longer," he grunted and Zack cursed under his breath with frustration at the situation.

"Damn being in this vent!" Zack exclaimed exasperated. "Jason, don't let her go, try to move a bit so I can try and get my hands in to help you."

"Guys, I can't get free!" Kimberly gasped out the obvious, the monster's grip unconcerned by the red ranger's attempt to pull her up.

"Just give us a moment, Kim," Jason grunted out again, beads of sweat forming on his creased forehead.

Zack tried to jam the top of his torso past Jason's as Kimberly threw her face back up towards them.

"Let me go!" she called out.

For a moment Zack assumed the she was directing her plea with the creature, but he could see her gaze and voice were directed up at them.

"No!" Jason practically snapped, his hand still gripped around her wrist. "Not a chance."

"Just do it!" she raised her voice. "I feel like I'm about to be ripped in half!"

Zack exchanged a look with Jason. He watched as the red ranger looked back down at their brunette teammate with a look of devastation. They all exchanged a final glance before Jason's tense grip released Kimberly's hand and she plummeted to the concrete surface below.

Zack didn't waste a minute and practically pushed Jason through the opening, before sliding himself to the gap and squeezing through the hole himself. He landed on his feet, shots of pain jerking up his legs quickly at the sudden landing.

He threw his eyes towards his friends, relief escaping in the form of a sigh as he realized they were both unharmed from the awkward fall.

"Where'd it go?" Kimberly gasped, loud breathing expelling from her mouth, as she seemed to hold onto Jason's arm for balance.

Zack frowned and scanned his eyes around them, his heart racing as he saw nothing but lockers.

"Damn it, it's got our power morphers!" Jason cursed, rubbing a hand over his face. "We have to find it."

Zack nodded, gulping as he tried to catch his own breath. He reached forwards and grabbed Kimberly's arm, as the three teenagers walked hand in hand down the first corridor lined with tall lockers. He had to admit to himself that he was a little freaked by the prospect of finding the surreal monster, thoughts of being torn apart from his friend's plaguing his mind.

"So, this is what the girl's locker room looks like," Zack rambled, his comment intended to lighten the mood.

Neither Kimberly nor Jason responded, nerves obviously robbing them of their ability to joke. They reached the end of the corridor and Jason sighed, turning around to face them.

"We're gonna have to go back and find Trini and Billy, the monster might have gone back outside-."

Zack frowned as Jason's sentence suddenly stopped and he turned around in time to watch as the windstorm suddenly appeared down the other end of the narrow corridor and started towards them.

"Run!" Zack yelled, turning around and shoveling his friends forward as they bolted around the corner of lockers. Tiny shrieks came from Kimberly as she barreled down the next corridor, and Zack decided to follow her as Jason ran down the next row.

Zack caught up to the pink ranger as they approached the end of the locker row and once again pushed her forwards, unintentionally with much force. He grunted as she collided with the wall and Zack tried to stop himself from following her by jumping to the left mid-sprint.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed as side stepped a mop bucket that was positioned in his path of direction. He stumbled slightly, turning around in time to see the windstorm appear from around the corner they had come from. The cloud of sand suddenly halted, the individual grains of dirt cementing together as they formed into the creature that had tried to strangle the umpire.

Zack gulped and cast his eyes frantically around the area, before he reached forward and grasped the mop bucket, sending the watery contents towards the creature. Zack had already prepared himself to grab Kimberly and run away, when to his shock, his seemingly harmless attack sent the creature back. The water seemed to pierce through the beast and sent its form exploding into a cloud of dust.

Zack raised his hand to shield his eyes, and slowly lowered it as he felt a hand grasp his arm.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked, grabbing hold of Zack's shoulder.

The black ranger nodded, the amazement still causing him to be speechless.

"Whoa, look you guys!" Kimberly's voice of astonishment spoke up.

Zack looked towards the pink ranger and followed her extended finger to the bag now sitting on the center of the floor.

* * *

"Well?" 

Bulk seemed to squint his eyes at Trini's proposition, his face twisted into a look of confusion.

"Wait a minute!" the chubby teenager suddenly stammered. He raised his hand and nearly jabbed Billy on the arm as he thrust his finger towards them. "Are you nerds trying to get us into trouble?" He glared at them.

Billy sighed quietly, resisting the urge he had to roll his eyes. He was about to reply, when a loud thud from the other side of the exit echoed through the gymnasium. The four teenagers looked directly at the frosted windows in the doors and each stared wide-eyed, as the relentless wall of putties seemed to disappear.

"This I have to see," Billy found himself murmuring as he took some absentminded steps towards the door in question. It was then that he saw a flash of pink, black and red sprint past and he couldn't conceal a smile. His friends had obviously retrieved their power morphers and were finally working on unlocking the complex.

"Look!" Bulk gasped, as he scurried beside Billy. "It's them!"

Billy stepped back as he saw the pink ranger fumble with the door, her movements from her side allowing the doors to finally be released. She pushed them open and the gymnasium erupted into more chaos as the students realized what was happening.

Billy took the moment to reach for the nearby speakerphone and he fumbled it towards Kimberly, watching as his morphed friend raised the object to her helmeted face.

"Students and teachers, please stay calm, the power rangers are here to get you out. Please go to the exits of the building. It is safe for you to go now," the pink ranger announced.

Almost immediately, students flooded towards the various exits, which were now visibly opened. The noise was almost unbearable, but at least this time around, the flow continued smoothly ensuring that the hundreds of students weren't injured in the process.

"Bulk, Skull, let's go!" Trini said, reaching forward to grab the large troublemaker on the arm. They had to get them out of there so they could take care of ranger business.

Bulk just continued to stare at the pink ranger, however, almost as though he had been hypnotized. "Skull!" he slowly murmured. "Did you hear that? It sounded like a girl…a girl power ranger!"

"Bulk!" Trini raised her voice slightly at him.

"She has a skirt…wow…" Skull murmured, equally transfixed.

It was at that stage that Kimberly stepped forward, extending a hand towards the two dumbstruck bullies.

"Come on, you two, let's get you out of here," she purred slightly.

Billy sighed with relief as the two boys gladly followed her out and the blue ranger took the opportunity to follow Trini in the opposite direction. They stopped as they found themselves around the back of the bleachers and watched carefully as the last trickles of students and teachers disappeared from inside the complex.

"Guys!"

Billy looked to the right as he saw the black ranger approach them, extending the yellow and blue power morphers towards them.

"How did you guys go?" Trini asked him, as she took her morpher from Zack's gloved hand.

The black ranger nodded and Billy could hear heavy breathing. "Fine…after a few hiccups. You guys better morph, we got ourselves one freaky monster to get rid of."

Billy nodded, a little excited about the prospect of morphing for the second time. "It's morphin time!" he called out, raising his morpher before him. "Triceratops!"

Trini followed his motions. "Saber tooth tiger!" she summoned. Light pulsated within them both, before their individual ranger uniforms coated their skin, and left them standing fully morphed.

"Let's go!" Trini pumped, and the three rangers barreled out from behind the bleachers.

Billy came to a stop as he saw Kimberly and Jason run towards them. "Is everyone out?" Zack asked them.

The red ranger nodded. "Yeah, now it's just a matter of finding that creature…the putties retreated already," he stated.

"Maybe we should go to the command center?" Kimberly suggested.

Billy was about to voice his agreement, when a loud noise startled him from behind. He spun around and bent his knees slightly as the main exit doors seemed to swing close without any assistance. Like a domino effect, the other five exits followed suit, each pair of swinging doors slamming shut louder than the one's preceding them.

"What the-."

Before Kimberly could finish her statement of shock, the cloud of dust suddenly appeared from behind them. It circled around the huddle of rangers at a speed so lightening fast that it was impossible to tell where the cloud began and where it finished. It finally stopped and Billy tried to regain his balance as he watched the sand cloud perform its metamorphosis into the sturdy sand monster.

"Time to play, rangers!" the monster announced in a low, unclear holler.

"Oh great, the thing talks!" Kimberly muttered as the five rangers arranged themselves side by side and into their defensive stances.

"It's time to knock this walking sand castle over!" Zack called out, a trickle of humor in his tone.

Billy watched as the red and black ranger began for the creature, and he tried to analyze its responses to their attacks. As they both inflicted a combination of powerful punches, it appeared that their gloved fists drove completely through the creature's torso, as though it was made of air. Their attacks only caused the monster to holler once more, before it grabbed them both with it's solid fists' and easily tossed them towards the nearby bleachers.

"Guys!" Kimberly shrieked. "Are you okay?"

Billy grabbed the pink ranger by the arm and they both moved towards the monster together. Billy sent a foot to the side of the creature, while Kimberly ducked and swept an extended leg towards it. Both of their attacks caused no effect, and they were quickly dispelled of in the same manner as the red and black rangers.

"Man!" Zack exclaimed irritated as he re-gathered himself. "This dude is made out of cement, yet when we attack him it's like he's made of nothing!"

* * *

Trini found herself gasping for breath as after each attempt to destroy the merciless sand monster proved to be useless. Neither herself nor her teammates had shown their desire to give up, but she knew that they were all close to their limit. It seemed that with each attack they gave, they only became weaker while the monster seemed completely unscathed. 

They were powerful…so why couldn't they just destroy it? She couldn't understand why it was so difficult, especially with their extraordinary powers.

She found her mind in a frenzy of thoughts as she gathered herself up from the ground for what felt like the one-hundredth time. She watched as the blue ranger was once more knocked down heavily by the creature and felt a sense of relief as Jason called out to them all to regroup.

"Rangers, let's get together!" the red ranger called out to them, as they all wearily moved together.

"What are we going to do?" Kimberly asked in a pained tone.

"It seems that it doesn't matter how many times we attack him," Trini pointed out, knowing that she was stating the obvious.

"What's the matter, rangers?" the creature's voice boomed towards them, it's deep tone bouncing and echoing off the walls. "Given up yet?"

"Never!" Jason dismissed.

"Water!" Zack suddenly burst out.

Trini turned towards her friend and felt herself frowning beneath her helmet. "What do you mean?" she asked him.

"When we were getting our morphers, this freak show turned up and I accidentally threw a bucket of water towards it…it kinda blew up and disappeared," he rambled.

"That could work," Billy stated. "Perhaps moisture prevents the monster's individual sand particles from being able to bind together. If we can saturate it completely, then we may be able to prevent it from being able to form as a creature again."

"Okay, but like how are we going to saturate it?" Kimberly asked. "I don't exactly see a ton of mop buckets lying around the place…"

The blue ranger extended his hand towards the roof. "The school's fire sprinkler system," he pointed out. "If we can set it off, it'll start all the sprinklers and in turn everything below will be completely doused."

"Great idea, guys!" Jason praised. "We need to distract him long enough so someone can work out a way to start those sprinklers."

Trini nodded and followed her leader as they began once again for the creature. She knew her attack would be futile, but she gave it everything she had. Unsurprisingly, she found herself only a moment later flying through the air, landing with a thud some distance from the confrontation.

She picked herself up and was about to return, when she could see her friends all deeply engaged. It was the moment to get their plan rolling, but she didn't know if she could do it.

_How am I going to start the sprinklers off? She_ thought desperately, as she scanned the large complex around her. The fire alarms were all very high, and even if she could reach them, she didn't know how she could start them.

Trini moved towards the discarded handbags left behind in the evacuation and immediately began to sift through contents of wallets and personal belongings. She felt like a thief, but she knew she didn't have a choice. After the fifth searched bag, she hurriedly straightened herself up, her gloved hand clenched around the object she'd been desperately looking for.

Without hesitation, she bounded up the tall bleachers, her feet jumping two steps at a time. She kept her eyes ahead of her during the assent, knowing too well that if she stopped or looked over her shoulder, that she would possibly pass out. Heights were one of her biggest fears since she was a young girl and she knew that if it wasn't such a desperate situation, that she'd never have the nerves to climb up so high.

As she reached the top of the bleachers, she found herself stepping up on the highest bench. She wasn't tall enough to reach the roof, but with an outstretched arm, she knew she could reach the stolen lighter to one of the fire alarms. She ran her finger over the lighter wheel several times, groaning as it appeared that it wouldn't work.

"Trini!" Kimberly's desperate voice cried out from far below.

Trini gulped and tried to turn her head around, but she couldn't. Her fear wouldn't let her.

"Why won't this work!" Trini whispered to herself with frustration.

She didn't know how to use a lighter, but she never assumed they would be so difficult to use. As the seconds ticked over, the desperation that had replaced her initial fear, became quickly overshadowed by doubt. She shouldn't have tried to complete the task- she didn't have the ability to save her friends on her own!

"Trini, quick! We can't keep doing this for much longer!"

Trini could feel her jittery fingers run over the lighter several more times, before like a switch, a tiny flame expelled from it's top lip. Her breathing quickened as she tried to steady herself enough to raise the lighter to the nearest alarm.

It felt like the longest minute of her life as she waited for the heat from the lighter to rouse the piercing alarm.

But without warning, the minute flicker set off the alarm, the piercing noise startling her so much that she found herself falling awkwardly to the bench below. Almost immediately after, the sprinklers that covered the roof switched on succinctly, streams of water tumbling to the lower parts of the vast gymnasium with surprising force.

Trini watched transfixed as the monster suddenly hollered once more, its scream of thundering pain tearing through the noise of the sprinklers. The water pierced it's body unlike their attacks had, and it exploded without notice before their very eyes, individual particles of sand falling to the ground like confetti.

* * *

"Argh…I can't believe it!" 

Rita spun around, the fury burning in her throat as her shrill screech of madness tore through her voice box. She settled her deranged gaze on her golden servant and quickly stalked towards him.

"They defeated it! Those impotent children destroyed our monster!" she screamed, pounding her fists against Goldar's chest. "And, they didn't even use any force!"

The titan stumbled back slightly from her aimless assault and growled. "Lord Zedd will not be pleased when he gets word of this!" he reminded her.

Rita's screeching slowed into a painful gurgle as she pursed her lips. "… we had them! It was about to happen!"

From across her chambers, Squatt moved from one foot to the other. "I can't believe they managed to destroy such a powerful creature when they had no powers to begin with!" he commented, clearly unthinking of the anger his comment would rouse in the bitter sorceress.

"Can it!" she snapped at him, before turning around and scurrying back to her observation deck. She clenched her hands on the guardrail, disbelieving she had been beaten once more by the one she detested most in her existence.

However now, she had a bigger detestation…the five multi-colored superheroes were pushing her towards her own doom.

* * *

Jason rolled his head and then his shoulders, feeling them pull as he tried to relax the tension he'd been harboring all day. As he gazed around the command center and watched as his friends regained their breath, he felt a sense of relief beyond anything he could have imagined. 

"Rangers, are any of you injured?" Alpha 5 approached them, the concern evident in his high-pitched voice.

They all shook their head and Zack let out a loud yawn. "I could do with a snooze, though," the black ranger joked.

"RANGERS, CONGRATULATIONS ON A JOB WELL DONE TODAY," Zordon praised them all. "DESPITE THE DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES, YOU PUT YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS TO GOOD USE AND ONCE AGAIN OVERCAME RITA'S SNEAKY MOTIVES. I AM VERY PROUD OF YOU AND YOU ALL SHOWED THAT INDIVIDUALLY YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS TEAM."

Kimberly straightened herself up, her eyes twinkling as she gazed around at them all. "I think we have to say a big thanks to Trini," she suggested, letting her eyes rest on her best friend. "You really saved our buns."

Trini seemed to blush and she shook her head in genuine modesty. "I knew that someone had to do it," she expressed seriously.

"KIMBERLY IS RIGHT, TRINI. IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT YOU FACED YOUR FEAR AND YOU SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF OVERCOMING YOUR PERSONAL DOUBTS."

Jason glanced over at the yellow ranger and offered her a grin of encouragement. He had to agree that had it not been for her bravery, he couldn't imagine how things might have turned out for them all.

"BUT, YOU ALL MADE ME PROUD TODAY. YOUR VICTORY SHOWED THAT VIOLENCE IS NOT ALWAYS NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE WHAT YOU NEED IN OUR WAR AGAINST THE FORCES OF EVIL. AS WELL AS PHYSICAL STRENGTH, STRATAGY AND TEAMWORK ARE JUST AS VITAL."

Jason nodded his head, staring thoughtfully as Billy approached Alpha 5 and took something from the robot's extended hands'.

"What's that?" Kimberly spoke up, pointing towards Billy with a curious look on her face.

"Over the last two days I've been working on a narrow beam transmission module that I hoped would allow wave function over an extended interval," the blue ranger stated, glancing at them all with a glimmer in his eyes.

Jason frowned slightly, noticing the blank looks Billy's statement had raised in both Kimberly and Zack. He was used to Billy's complicated speech patterns, but had to admit that the use of scientific jargon this time around had him completely confused.

"Billy, I am way too zapped to even try and understand anything you just said," Zack stated.

Trini stepped towards Billy. "Are you saying you made a communication device?" she asked him.

"Affirmative," he responded. "Here, have a look," he added, revealing what appeared to be five watches sitting in the palms of his hands. The face and band of each was a different color, and Jason could see that there was one to match each of their ranger colors.

"Wow!" Kimberly burst out, extending her hand to take the pink one from his. "This is morphanominal!"

"How do they work?" Zack asked, his look of bewilderment, matching Kimberly's.

"They respond to tactile pressure," the blue ranger explained. "Meaning, you need to press the button. It will allow you to communicate with Zordon and Alpha or we can communicate with each other, no matter where we are. It'll also allow us to teleport to the command center or any other location when necessary." He paused and looked towards Alpha 5. "Thankfully, Alpha was able to complete the adjustments today so that they are now completely operational."

"Wow, these would have been handy today," Trini stated, fastening her communicator around her left wrist.

"RANGERS, I FEEL YOU SHOULD ALL RETURN TO YOUR SCHOOL, AS YOUR LOVED ONES WILL BE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR WELLBEINGS AFTER THE SITUATION THAT OCCURRED TODAY," Zordon suggested. "BUT, BEFORE YOU LEAVE, PLEASE VIEW THE VIEWING GLOBE; THERE IS SOMETHING I FEEL YOU SHOULD ALL SEE."

Jason turned and cast his eyes on the sphere screen, watching as what appeared to be a news report lit up the globe. The red ranger recognized the male reporter from the local news and he listened carefully as he began to speak, reciting the events that had happened during Rita's attack:

_"… The situation was appearing grave, until the mysterious superheroes, the 'Power Rangers' made an appearance and released the citizens. They appear to have successfully disposed of the unrelenting aliens, saving our city for the second time in only days. Despite water damage to the interior of the gymnasium, structural damage was left at a minimum, and thirteen students and one teacher were treated for minor injuries." _

Jason sniggered slightly as the reported paused from his report and the camera moved to Bulk and Skull who were supposedly chosen to give a witness account on the events that day.

_"Can you tell us more about what happened here today?"_ The reporter asked the two bullies.

Skull stood wide-eyed in front of the camera, a goofy grin plastered on his face as Bulk grabbed the microphone and faced the camera almost triumphantly. _"We were only inches away when the Power Rangers arrived and we helped them get everyone out. There was a pink one who's a girl and she was a complete babe!"_

The reporter raised an eyebrow at the teenager's commentary and then took the microphone from him, before turning and centering himself before the camera: _"So, while we can all be in debt to the miraculous superheroes, more questions remain then answers. Just who are these rangers, and where do they come from? Why are they saving our planet and just what do these alien forces want? Only time will tell as Angel Grove residents struggle to return to normality in the face of what could eventually turn into oppression."_

Jason pursed his lips as the footage on the globe stopped and he looked towards each of his friends. He hoped the city and indeed the world believed in them enough to not give up hope.

---

**_Coming up Next in Episode 10 "One Promise"_**: _As the residents of Angel Grove struggle to return their lives to normal, some of the rangers became swept in the fear when their own parents deem the city no longer safe to live in. Problems escalate when the rangers are interrupted in battle and when one of Rita's plans become personal, the rangers must face their greatest fear to deliver on their one and only promise._

_A/N#2: So, it was kind of funny, because I had this image in my mind on the monster that I featured in this chapter, but for some reason, I felt like I had trouble describing it. I am sorry if it was maybe confusing, or all over the place. I wanted to show that it was a 'cloud' of sand, capable of moving about and on urge, forming into a 'sand' monster. Also, in regards to Jason, Kimberly and Zack climbing through the venting system, I need to state that I don't know much about venting. All I know, is that at my high school years ago, we had an incident where three students broke into the school by climbing through the venting system...And as a final note, I want to express that my primary purpose in these chapters is to bring forth a realistic view of how a city would deal if they were suddenly attacked by aliens. It was something not often explored on MMPR (because it was an upbeat show mostly), but I think it's important for me to show that, as well as the rangers struggling to get use to their powers. They will learn from their mistakes. Anyway, don't forget to leave a review and have a nice day...  
_


	11. Ep10: One Promise

**REBIRTH OF THE LEGACY**

By Chanelle Summer

**One Promise – Episode 10**

_A/N- Thanks for all the reviews; you all always make my day! I'm really glad you enjoyed the last chapter, because I really enjoyed writing it. This chapter is a little different...I already have many of my future chapters already written, but this one was slow to come and I wrote it during a very surreal and difficult week. When I read it over, I thought of it as the episode where a lot happens but nothing much happens...In saying that, I hope that there are aspects in it that you will enjoy. I'm doing my best not to rush the series, because I think it's important to settle the rangers into their new positions. I don't want them acting like a bunch of experts, especially because they are young and it's all so scary. I know that they haven't engaged in many physical battles, but that will all come...for now, they are learning to harness their attitudes to their new powers. The next episode is a much different mood set...Anyway, I hope you all have a great day! Chanelle_

**

* * *

**

**_The Kwan Residence_**

**_Saturday 12th February 1994_**

Saturday mornings usually equaled karate classes and milkshakes at the youth center with her friends, but after nearly a week of alien attacks and flying through the city to save the world, Trini's Saturday added up to something far less spectacular this week.

She was glad, actually. After the frightful turn of events the day before that saw their school barricaded and the rangers' only just managing to defeat Rita's sand monster, Trini needed to feel some normality return to her life. Her mother had cooked the family a warm breakfast, but the mood around the table was anything but normal.

There was no talk about school, or what her father had achieved at work that week. Trini watched nervously as her father seemed engrossed in the 'Angel Grove Gazette', the city's major news publication which had chosen to do a five page spread on the week's attacks' against the city. Going by the sighs and constant comments to her mother in Chinese, Trini could tell her father wasn't impressed by what he was reading.

A quick exchange in their natural dialect caught Trini's ears' and she almost dropped her spoon in her breakfast. She concealed her shock by taking a quick sip of her drink before waiting. What she heard scared her and she certainly wasn't prepared for it after what had been an almost sleepless night.

Trini waited until their words broke apart and she gazed at her father with stricken eyes. "Father, are you being serious?" she asked him, forgetting the guilt she had just been feeling over eavesdropping.

Her father lowered the newspaper in his hands slightly and nodded once. "Trini, your mother and I have always remained in Angel Grove because it had always been a safe city to raise you and your sister," he explained. "But these…attacks, against the city…at your school…they have us troubled. We are not alone in our feelings; people from all over the area are considering moving to where it is safer."

"But we can't just leave, daddy!" Trini spoke up, surprising even herself with her own outburst. "This is our home! I don't want to go!"

"Trini, what if something would have happened to you yesterday? What if we lost you?"

"But you didn't," Trini protested. "Everything was fine in the end. The Power Rangers saved everyone-."

"Trini, cease such ridiculous talk," her father suddenly snapped at her. Trini blinked, taken aback by his hostile tone and lowered her gaze to the table as he continued. "These fighting heroes, whatever they are, are no cause for celebration. The government has no intelligence on them, and as far as we know, they could be just as dangerous as these other aliens attacking the city."

Trini took a sip of her juice and then looked back at her father with remorseful eyes. "I'm sorry, father," she apologized quietly.

His eyes softened and returned back to his reading as the doorbell chimed through the room. Trini watched as her mother left to answer the door, and returned to finishing her breakfast, her appetite dissipated by the words spoken by her father.

A noise startled her and she looked up, surprised to find Zack standing awkwardly in the entranceway.

"Hey Zack," Trini greeted. She was happy to see her friend, but at the same time knew it wasn't the best time to have visitors.

He lifted his hand slightly as if to wave to her. "Good morning, Mr. Kwan," Zack offered, speaking as politely as possible to the older man. "So, uh, Trini…I was wondering if you wanted to go and hang out? I was thinking of catching Jason and Kim, seeing as though it's Kimberly's birthday on Monday," he asked.

Trini looked to her father. "Is it okay if I go?" she asked him.

He folded the paper in half and placed it on the table before him. "I don't know if that is such a good idea, Trini," he replied, avoiding looking at Zack. "After everything that happened yesterday, I think it might be safer if you stay home."

Trini blinked. "Please…dad…" she pressured, reaching out to place a gentle hand on his. "I want to see Kim for her birthday."

Her father stared at her and then sighed resignedly. "Very well." He nodded his head and Trini flashed him a smile of thanks. "But I want you back in two hours," he stated.

Trini nodded. It wasn't much of one, but at least she could consider it a reasonable compromise.

* * *

**_The Scott Residence _**

Kimberly woke up unusually sore that morning. Usually, the day after a vigorous workout at gym, she would sometimes feel a twinge here or there, but today it was different. Her back was sore, her legs were sore; her wrist was red and slightly bruised, a clear reminder of Jason's desperate grip on her during the incident in the girl's locker room the day before.

She had enjoyed the pleasure of a sleep in, hoping that when she finally decided to pull herself from the serenity of her bed that she could just spend the day relaxing. But on a week that was delivering surprise after surprise, she was taken off guard as Jason knocked on her door a little after nine and told her that her uncle had arrived from Los Angeles that morning.

On asking Jason why he had turned up two days before her birthday, the red ranger explained that he overheard the pilot telling his mother that he was worried about Kimberly after the attacks against Angel Grove. The butterflies instantly began fluttering around in her stomach, but Kimberly decided she'd do her best to keep any conversation with her legal guardian on her birthday, backing it up with a forced smile.

Not that she wasn't excited about turning fifteen…it's just the day seemed rather small in comparison to the events that had swept her off her feet that week.

"Hey Uncle Steve!" she greeted him with a smile as she made an appearance into the living area. She bounded over to the older man and hugged him, before pulling back. "Does this mean we're gonna do something super for my birthday?" she asked him, turning on her act.

Her uncle smiled at her, before he playfully slapped her on the shoulder. "Yeah, I think some fun stuff is definitely on the agenda, kiddo" he agreed, as they strolled over to the dining table where Kath, Ian and Jason were already seated. She glanced at Jason quickly, before flopping down in the seat opposite him.

"Grab yourself some pancakes, sweetheart; I just made them," Kath offered her, motioning to the stack of hotcakes that were still admitting heat as Kimberly put some onto a plate.

"So. How are you feeling after yesterday?" Steve asked her. "Looks like it was a pretty scary experience."

Kimberly blinked. "Yeah, it was," she responded quietly. "But, uh, you know the Power Rangers saved the day so it really wasn't that bad," she added quickly.

Kimberly looked up and she could clearly see that he was unconvinced.

"The rangers were really awesome," Jason added, his comment coming from nowhere. "Those aliens are no match for them."

The adults all remained quiet and Kimberly sighed dramatically.

"Is something going on?" she suddenly asked.

Her uncle sighed in return. "Kimberly, there are some things I want to discuss with you, we can do it here or in private-."

"Here is fine," she stated abruptly, frowning. She certainly couldn't think of anything they couldn't say in front of the Scotts; they were, after all, considered family of some kind.

"I left LA after my flight came back early this morning, as soon as I heard what happened. I wanted to make sure you were okay," he said to her. "I'll admit these alien attacks have me concerned about your well being-."

"I am totally fine," she dismissed his concerns. "The whole city is safe, the power rangers won't let anything happen to us."

She didn't like the way her uncle was talking. He had always been so carefree and fun, and the stern look he was giving her was making her uneasy.

"Kimberly," he emphasized her name, as if to sound impatient. "This is serious. This is not some movie where superheroes save the world. I don't want to see anything happen to you."

"We've been talking a lot this morning," Jason's father spoke up. "Everyone in Angel Grove feels this way…but your uncle is beginning to feel uncomfortable about your living arrange-."

"Please don't tell me this is about me moving!" Kimberly burst out, unintentionally dropping her hands loudly on the table. She lowered her gaze apologetically, before lowering her face into the palm of her hand.

"I'm not here to take you away, Kimberly, this is nothing like that," her uncle finally stated as the awkward heat of the moment passed them by. "I want nothing more than to see you happy. But if this type of thing continues, then I'm definitely going to have to consider moving you somewhere safer."

"This is my home," Kimberly almost whispered. "I like it here. I like my school, my friends. I'm sure the aliens will attack the rest of the country when they get the chance."

She stopped talking as the doorbell rang and Jason excused himself to answer it. She absentmindedly played with her food, before realizing that Zack and Trini had entered the room.

"Hey, kids," Ian greeted them. "How you all going this morning?"

Trini nodded while Zack grinned. "We're doing super, Mr. S," he replied. "But we'd be doing even greater if we could have some of those yummy smelling hotcakes," he joked.

"Come and join us then," Kath waved them over, eying Kimberly before she continued, "There's plenty here."

* * *

Rita had her right eye figuratively glued to her viewing telescope, as she watched the unfolding scenarios down on planet Earth. She had been spying on the power rangers out of interest, but what she had received in return was something far more valuable to her, particularly in the dark time that faced Zedd's Empire. 

She'd received inspiration. Rita would never admit that she failed in her first two attempts to destroy the colorful superheroes, but even if she did, she could take comfort in the fact that her advances were wearing down on the humans of Angel Grove.

They were afraid. They were scared. The terror of what could come next was playing with their minds, longing them to flee. Such fear had seemingly infected the rangers' own families', and Rita was most pleased by this. The sorceress had little understanding of the bonds that humanoids shared with one and other, but she a distinct feeling that she could use it to her advantage.

"Finster!" she suddenly screamed out, as she jerked her body upwards and stared at the archway of her chamber.

She narrowed her gaze as an impatient moment ticked past, before the alien scientist scuttled in, his hands clasped together as he came to a sudden stop before her.

"Yes, my queen; I am at your service," the white, dog-like alien greeted his empress.

His subordination made her smile slightly. She always lavished being so highly regarded.

"I want the spell to open the vortex to the 'Fear Dimension', I have a plan that should get rid of Zordon's pesky children for good!"

Finster bowed his head once more. "Of course, my Queen. Sending them to the dimension of fear will make a perfect scheme in eliminating them," he praised her.

Rita smirked. "They are only children, after all…children are disgustingly weak, fearful and useless…I have a plan to take the one thing away from them that is the pillar in the eyes of those earthling brats…" she laughed slightly to herself, enjoying the way her plan sounded.

"I know you will only be successful," Finster told her. "Would you like me to inform Goldar are of your plan?"

"No," she stated coldly. "He'll only relay the information back to Zedd. I'll wait until after the rangers and Zordon are destroyed…I'm sure Zedd won't mind if he's delayed in hearing our plans, if we're successful in our mission."

"Very well," Finster agreed. "I shall find for you the vortex spell."

Rita watched her trusted servant leave, knowing the magician was the only henchman who was truly loyal to her. She was beginning to grow tired of Zedd's putrid breath down the back of her neck, and didn't need him involved in her plans this time around.

* * *

Jason was glad that Trini and Zack had both showed up at his house when they did. Their arrival brought an abrupt end to the sweltering conversation that had been developing between Kimberly, her uncle and his parents. He had felt a little stupid sitting there, but he didn't know what he possibly could have said to make the situation better. 

He wasn't good with confrontations. He didn't like it when people were angry or upset. He preferred it when people stayed calm and rational, when they were willing to discuss things without the bitterness or heartache. Jason understood why Kimberly had been so upset, but at the same time he knew she should have known better then to get so worked up.

It's not as though he would have let her be shipped off to some other country. Parents tended to say a lot of things they didn't really mean, anyway.

So, he had all these thoughts holding him down as the four friends went for a walk after breakfast and went past the Cranston residence to get Billy. Zack did a lot of talking about the day before hand, but both Kimberly and Trini seemed both to be in different worlds.

"…my mom was totally impressed by that," Zack rambled as they crossed the road and entered the park. "It was so hard not to say anything, but at least I knew. She doesn't have a clue…so Kim, why is your uncle here already? I thought you said he wasn't coming until Monday?"

Kimberly sighed slightly, her eyes scattered on the path they followed. "He's here to take me back to LA," she commented.

Both Trini and Zack snapped their heads in her direction, and so Jason quickly sighed loudly. "Kimberly, don't exaggerate," he stated. "That would never happen."

"How do you know?"

"Because I just do," he responded.

Kimberly tucked a messy strand of hair behind her ear, before looking at each of her friends. "Well, everyone is so freaked out, it's like no one wants to live here anymore," she stated.

She stopped and they all followed suit, turning around and waiting for her to say what was on her mind. "You guys, there has to be something we can do to make our parents, everyone, believe that Angel Grove is a great place to live," she finally pleaded.

Jason remained silent, wishing he knew the answer. Zack shrugged slightly beside him. "Maybe we should visit Zordon and see if he has some ideas?" the black ranger suggested.

"We can't rely on Zordon for everything," Trini reasoned. "We have to start thinking of things ourselves…"

"Everyone is just freaked out," Zack tried to consol his two female teammates. "I mean, we were all pretty freaked before we met Zordon. Once everyone knows that Rita can't win while we're here, they'll stop talking about moving and all of that."

Kimberly remained unconvinced, Trini at least offering the black ranger a small smile of thanks.

"Hey, how bout we all go and play a game of ball?" Jason suggested, extending his hand towards the basketball court in the distance.

His suggestion drew an excited grin from Zack, who rubbed his hands together mischievously. "You're on, red boy," he jibbed. "That monster may have ruined our games yesterday, but I'm feeling on a roll today." He added.

He broke into a sprint and his friends' quickly followed, all of them seemingly leaving their worries behind them for a moment's return to living as regular, everyday teens.

* * *

The game of basketball had proven a great distraction from the concern that Trini had been feeling that morning, and before she realized it, she actually found herself laughing and smiling. They were all enjoying the freedom to muck around, but Trini's fun quickly came to a slamming halt as her eyes fleeted over the time on her watch some time later. 

"Oh no," Trini moaned, dropping her hand to her side. She looked at them all with stricken eyes. "It's nearly eleven-thirty. My dad is going to be so furious if I get home late."

Kimberly touched her best friend's arm. "We can jog there, take the short cut through the lane way," she suggested.

The five friends broke into a jog, Zack making a game of it by seeing who could make it to the end of each street the quickest. By the time they reached the street leading to Trini's, the yellow ranger felt grateful that at least she wouldn't arrive home too far over her strict curfew.

But, like the week that had proceeded that day, nothing could go as planned. Trini found herself groaning with annoyance as familiar gray creatures intercepted their jog, bringing the group of friends to a complete standstill.

"Don't they ever get the message?" Kimberly muttered, as the group of twenty putties circled the teenagers.

They broke apart, each un-morphed ranger taking the warriors on with more confidence then they'd displayed less than a week earlier. The fact that they all could take Rita's mindless putties on without the need to morph proved that fact more than anything else.

Trini immediately assumed an attacking stance, her fingers poised to strike each putty in a combination of powerful jabs and swipes. She ducked several higher attacks, before knocking three down simultaneously with a swipe of her leg.

She turned around as she spotted another two behind her and gathered her concentration once more, before kicking towards the first with her right leg and then quickly with the second. It stumbled, but flicked itself back toward her and so she added another combination of punches to her assault, which forced it to the ground for good.

She knocked the second one down with a powerful jab to the chest, before her concentration became sidetracked by an out of place voice from behind her. She spun around, simultaneously dodging an oncoming putty, before her dark eyes fell on the cause of the interruption.

Her father was sprinting towards her, his eyes squinting while his mouth was twisted into a mix between a grimace and a frown.

"Trini! Move away from them!"

_Oh my gosh! What do I do? What is he doing here!_

"Dad!" she burst out, as she made her way towards him. He grabbed her on the arm and pushed her behind him. "Get in the car, now!" he ordered her.

She watched as he tried to huddle her friends in the same manner, their faces expressing both the shock and frustration they were feeling. The five rangers reluctantly climbed into the car, squeezing into the back seat that was too small for four of them.

Trini's eyes remained fixed out of the passenger window as her father hurried for the driver's side. She could see the putties advance on the vehicle, stalking them in their trademark manner as she fought the urge to jump out and fight as the car quickly sped away.

* * *

"Maybe we should call the police?" 

"I don't know what that will achieve, Tony, they've already stated that they don't have the resources for this kind of thing."

"They are attacking our children on the street! They have to do something!"

Kimberly sighed, and closed the door, trudging over to where her friends were spread out across her room. The raised and shrill voices of their parents' conversation continued to pierce through the Scott residence, and so she quickly turned on her cassette player, hoping the music would drain out their ravings.

"I am so sorry," Trini stated dismally. It was the forth time her best friend had apologized since her father intercepted their battle, and so Kimberly dropped beside her and gave her a quick hug of reassurance.

"It's going to be okay," Kimberly told her.

"This certainly was not your fault," Billy offered the yellow ranger. "Had any of our parents seen us in that situation, I believe any of them would have responded in a similar fashion."

"What we need to do now is-."

Jason's sentence was cut short as a beeping noise sounded from out of nowhere. Kimberly frowned and looked around in confusion.

"Hey, it's coming from our watches," Zack realized.

Kimberly watched as Jason raised his wrist to his mouth, his finger carefully tapping the button.

"Hello?"

"RANGERS," Zordon's voice boomed through the tiny speaker. "RITA HAS LET LOOSE PUTTIES NEAR THE YOUTH CENTER. YOU MUST TELEPORT AND TAKE CARE OF THEM BEFORE THEY TERRORIZE ANY CITIZENS."

Kimberly sighed with disbelief and watched as Jason tried to work out how to respond. "Zordon; our parents won't let us go anywhere, they're worried about our safety. If we leave now, we'll all get in to a major amount of trouble," he explained in a quiet voice.

"I'M AWARE OF YOUR SITUATION, HOWEVER IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT YOU DEVISE A PLAN TO OVERCOME THIS OBSTICLE. THE SAFETY OF THE CITY IS IN JEOPARDY OTHERWISE."

Jason nodded resignedly. "We'll think of something," he promised their mentor. "Jason out."

Kimberly rested her head on Trini's shoulder while Jason began to think through his thoughts out loud. "We need to take care of them, even if just a few of us go…" he murmured. "We need to think…"

They all looked up as they heard more raised voices from the other side of the house and Zack fidgeted beside Billy. "Man, we had better think of something fast, before our parents totally lose the plot," he stated and they all nodded in agreement.

Kimberly flinched her head from Trini's shoulder as she heard another round of raised voices, however this time the words were jagged and abrupt. She quickly scrambled off her bed and reached to turn her stereo off, when her bedroom door quickly swung open.

"Kids!" Jason's father gasped, his eyes wide in distress. "Stay in here!" he added with another gasp, before he quickly pulled the door shut again.

"Wait!" Kimberly called out, instantly lunging for the door. She pulled on the handle several times, before she stepped back in resignation.

"It's locked!" she wailed, as the others quickly jumped up beside her.

"Guys, it's time to go to the command center," Jason murmured, his steel eyes staring directly at the door.

"Initiate the teleportation process by pressing the right button on the communicator's panel," Billy quickly explained, as they all raised their communicators and followed his instructions.

Kimberly felt at least more settled on her quick flight to the ranger headquarters, but her anguish quickly returned as soon as her feet touched the ground. The alarm was already blaring on their arrival and Kimberly instantly looked towards their mentor with utter distress.

"Zordon, I think something's happened to our parents!" she cried out, stepping towards him.

"UNFORTUNATELY KIMBERLY, YOUR SUSPICIONS ARE CORRECT," Zordon responded, his loud voice sounding particularly concerned. "IT APPEARS THAT RITA HAS KIDNAPPED YOUR PARENTS FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. SHE HOPES THAT SHE WILL BE ABLE TO USE THEM TO DESTROY YOU, WHILST IN THE PROCESS, DESTROY THE FAITH OF THE CITIZENS IN ANGEL GROVE."

"Kidnapped?" Trini asked, her dark eyes slightly watery.

"YES, TRINI…AND IF WE DON'T DEVISE A PLAN TO RESCUE THEM, YOUR PARENTS COULD BE LOST FOREVER…"

* * *

"I don't understand, what do you mean 'lost'?" Zack asked, as he stepped beside Trini. 

"THE MONSTER THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR KIDNAPPING YOUR PARENTS IS KNOWN AS THE 'FEAR EATER'. HE USUALLY EXISTS ONLY IN THE 'FEAR DIMENSION', A HELLISH ALTERNATE REALITY IN WHICH ALL HIS VICTIMS REMAIN IN A STATE OF GRAVE FEAR."

"But where has he taken our parents?" Jason asked, as he crossed his arms over his chest. He looked to Kimberly and placed a consoling arm on her shoulder as they waited for Alpha 5 to complete an analysis on the computer.

"I can confirm the monster is holding your parents in the alternate dimension," the android reported, as he skimmed over a paper printout in his metal hands.

"BEFORE YOU CAN ATTEMPT TO DEFEAT THIS POWERFUL BEING, YOU MUST EACH PARTAKE IN A QUEST FOR ADDITIONAL POWERS. IF SUCCESSFUL IN YOUR SPIRITUAL QUESTS, YOU WILL EACH RECEIVE A POWERFUL WEAPON, WHICH, WHEN COMBINED TOGETHER, WILL ALLOW US A FORCE CAPABLE OF DESTROYING THE FEAR EATER AND FREEING YOUR PARENTS."

Kimberly sighed and bit her lip, Jason watching as she absentmindedly fidgeted with her fingers. Billy stepped towards the red ranger and offered him a tight smile, before quietly speaking up.

"We should go," he suggested, as he quickly adjusted his glasses. "The longer we wait, the longer our parents are held."

Jason nodded, before moving to address Alpha 5. "Alpha, are you ready to teleport us to this place so we can do these quests?"

The robot nodded. "Ready," he replied. "Good luck rangers."

Jason reached down and unclipped his morpher from his belt. "It's morphin time!" he announced loudly, before summoning his red ranger power. He felt himself instantly teleport, his newly morphed body jetting through scenery he had never seen before.

_I wonder where this place is!_

He grunted slightly as he landed awkwardly on the other side of teleportation, and he slowly spun around as he took in his new surroundings.

_Whoa..._

* * *

Kathleen Scott squinted her eyes, not at all recognizing her surroundings as she came to after drifting into an unconscious state. She could see very little, but her other senses immediately kicked in. There was a distinct stench of cold; wetness that touched the palms of her hands and most obviously the sounds of distress from people she knew very well. 

Beside her, she could see the outline of a woman, long hair draped over her shoulders. She knew from the style, that it was Vi Kwan, the older woman huddled in a ball like a trembling child at night. Kath could barely make out of her face, but she could hear the labored, trembling breath as Trini's mother leant towards her.

"W-where are we?"

Kath looked around once more, as if expecting the haunting location to suddenly come to her. She looked back at her friend, and placed a gentle hand on her. Vi flinched, clearly startled by her gesture.

"It's going to be okay," Kath said to her.

"W-what if…it comes back…?"

Kath frowned at the woman's question, but her mind quickly flashed back to the moment she knew had haunted them all. A monster, dark and almost featureless. It had had two hollows in its forehead, which were acting as eyes, while it's mouth was large and wide open in the expression of a scream. It appeared from nowhere and took them all with no warning…Kath couldn't remember anything until this moment.

"It was one of those monsters," Vi continued, her fear dripping from each quickly spoken word. "Do you think they have taken us to their craft?"

Kath shook her head. "No…I don't think so. This looks more like a dark forest of some kind." She reached out and took the woman's hand, her tendency to consol automatically kicking in. "We're going to be okay."

"What if he took our children?" the woman gasped out as she began to sob loudly. "What if…"

"I don't think he touched them," Kath tried to reassure her. "I believe our children are safe. They know how to look after each other."

Kath retreated to her own thoughts, running her own fears through her mind in an effort to dissipate them. She knew she had to be brave; she wanted to see her family again. She just prayed to God that Jason, Kimberly and the other children were safe. Kath had last seen her husband flee in their direction and had become separated from him.

She prayed again that he reached them in time.

* * *

Trini had to blink several times as she landed in the new location, confusion instantly setting in. From her short experience as a ranger, she had prepared herself for the very worst, and for once she was surprised in a good way. 

The location where Alpha 5 had teleported them to complete their quests for new weapons, was a place of instant tranquility. Beneath her boots was long grass; the high stalks bending slightly in the soft breeze that wisped about effortlessly. There were trees sitting aimlessly in the field, boulders and rocks finishing off the simple landscape. The circular shaped field seemed to be enclosed by giant rock pillars, and so she instantly knew she couldn't go anywhere else.

Before her stood a man. He was Asian in appearance, gray tufts of hair sitting on his head. His thick eyebrows highlighted his serious eyes, while his body was draped in some type of traditional martial arts costume.

"I am the Master. Today, is a test to prove you are a commendable warrior, worthy of receiving the force of a power weapon," the man spoke up. "Fulfill each section and you shall be rewarded, however shall you fail, you will be locked in the existence of your own fear for the rest of eternity…to regret, is the most painful punishment to any warrior."

"I'm ready," Trini stated confidently. "What do I need to do?"

"There are three parts that make the perfect warrior. Firstly, you must use your mind to overcome all obstacles. Secondly, you must use your body to combat anything that threatens the balance of good and finally; you must have a pure soul. To prepare your soul for your journey I ask of you to confess something that you have held back, anything that your soul is weighed down by."

Trini thought for a moment. Was he asking her to confess a secret? No, it seemed he wanted her to share something that made her angry or upset. She needed to be focused to complete the quest successfully.

"I respect my father," she began sharing her the first thing that came to mind. "I love both of my parents, but I fear that my father is ignorant and doesn't listen to me enough. I cannot possibly tell him how I feel, because I don't want him to disapprove of me, but sometimes I wish I could tell him that I don't agree with him." She paused. "I wish I could tell him I want to be my own person and that I don't need him babying me anymore."

The Master nodded, his stern eyes allowing Trini a glimpse of understanding. "How do you feel, yellow warrior, now that you have freed your soul?"

Trini took the man's words' seriously and wanted to give an honest reply. "I feel as though I have betrayed my father slightly, but at the same time I feel relieved to speak those words out loud-."

Trini's sentence stopped short, as the mysterious man suddenly disappeared. Like an illusion, her eyes suddenly fell on a much larger being in the distance and she felt her lips open in shock.

The creature was nothing Trini had ever seen before and was certainly something she would never come across on Earth. It had four limbs; it's muscular body was similar to that of a lion, whilst it's head was covered in golden feathers and had the characteristics of an eagle. It let out a powerful screech and Trini glanced around quickly, her eyes falling on two shimmering items sitting in the grass nearby.

* * *

Meanwhile, Zack was having difficultly stifling a chuckle as he glanced towards the 'Master' in his own quest. It's not as though Zack wasn't taking the quest seriously, but the idea of having to tell some stranger his darkest secret was a little past strange for him. 

Plus, the black ranger wasn't the type to have secrets…he couldn't keep his mouth shut long enough for anything to remain hidden for too long. That's why the idea of keeping his ranger identity a secret the past week was such a challenging task for him to tackle.

"I don't have any secrets," Zack finally told him.

The elderly man's face remained emotionless. "Black warrior, you can not become whole if you do not release your soul."

_Huh? What is that supposed to mean?_

Zack moved from one foot to the other several times as he tried his best to think. "I sometimes think, more like wish, that I never became a power ranger…I know I'll get use to it, but I don't like what it's doing to my life. I have no time to do anything I want any more…and everyone around me is always bummed about something. I know that sounds bad and I wouldn't tell my friends how I feel, but that's the truth."

The elderly man nodded his head once. "How do you feel, black warrior?"

Zack sighed. He felt bad for saying his confession out loud. He hoped that Zordon couldn't hear him.

The loud noise that suddenly thundered behind him was enough to make him stumble slightly. His dark eyes fell on a lion-like creature in the distance and he instantly knew he'd reached the next part of the test. How he planned to finish it was yet to be seen.

"Okay, looks like it's time to play with the kitty," he joked to himself. It was almost second nature for him to jibe around whenever he was nervous.

He glanced around, seeing nothing but chunks of rock and sparse trees. He kept his body facing the creature as he retreated back slowly, his eyes carefully looking over the enclosed surroundings. Zack knew he must have been missing something, seeing as though it was impossible for him to kill such a creature with his bare hands.

A flash of light sudden shone into his eyes, and he stepped sideways several times to investigate. His gloved hand's clasped around an axe that was lying in the long grass, and Zack couldn't work out whether he was relieved or confused at the find.

_How am I supposed to kill this lion with an axe? I'm assuming I'm not supposed to cut him up into steaks and eat him…_

The creature let out another loud roar and began towards him. Zack instantly panicked. He was thinking of throwing the sharp weapon toward it, but he didn't want to risk losing it, especially if his aim was off. He quickly scrambled to a nearby tree and began to climb up it.

The lion stopped beneath the tree and seemed to stand there with disinterest. Zack knew he could probably sit up there forever and he'd be safe, but that wouldn't help him complete the quest, nor save their parents.

So, he decided to use the avenue of surprise. Trying to envisage his days on the giant diving board at the Angel Grove pool, he jumped down, bracing himself for the collision.

As expected, he hit the lion's back with a thud, but surprisingly Zack held himself steady as he straightened himself up on it's back. The creature began to roar in clear fury and Zack gripped one hand firmly around its mane and the other around his powerful weapon. But as he struggled to grip the creature's long tresses of hair, he felt a strange chain just beneath the scraggly locks.

He leaned over and noticed the lion was wearing a key around it's neck.

_That must be how to get out of here! _Zack thought with excitement, as he awkwardly began to remove the chain from around the angry creature with the handle of his axe.

* * *

Billy focused his mind on completing his own task in as most honorable way as possible. When he arrived at the tranquil setting, he had been pleased to see there were no enemy warriors for him to tackle on his own. 

But then, he learnt the real truth of the quest.

He had to make a confession. Billy was raised slightly religious, but even he had not made a confession before in a religious sense. Given that he was fairly guarded by nature and due to his life's experiences, he had no shortage of things to confess. He just wanted to pick the one admission that would allow him to pass the Master's first test.

As it was considered to be a spiritual journey, the blue ranger decided to speak aloud some reflections on himself, as he guessed that that was what would impress the Master the most. Indeed, as he finished his revelations, he saw a hint in the elderly man's eyes' that he had been successful, and Billy released a breath of relief.

Until an angry snarl snapped at him from behind.

Billy spun around and lost his footing, crashing to the ground as he cast his shocked eyes on the creature that had lunged for him.

It was a horse. A unicorn, more specifically, going by the grand spiral extending from its chiseled forehead. Its appearance was that of a mystical stereotype, its suede skin the color of the palest sky and its eyes the color of night.

But, it was certainly not of a friendly variety. Billy took a few tentative steps backwards, as he quickly analyzed his surroundings. He wasn't certain of what the task entailed. If he were to assume correctly, he'd have gathered the objective was to kill the creature, but he didn't like that idea, nor did he know how he could pull it off.

The unicorn suddenly jumped toward him again and Billy mirrored its motion until he found himself crashing back to the grassy earth below. He quickly realized he'd tripped over something and he looked at the object that had caused his stumble.

It was a weapon; a lance, made of sleek blue metal. Billy ran his gloved hand along the sharp object as he returned his attention to the snarling horse nearby.

Then he noticed the key around the creature's neck. The intricate item was hung on some kind of chain.

_Perhaps I need to get the key with this lance?_ Billy thought to himself. _Maybe they are testing our ability to complete the task without violence?_

Billy reached the long weapon toward the creature, and he was surprised that he could reach its muscular neck without having to get too close to it. The creature huffed a few times, but within several turns, Billy finally yanked the chain off the unicorn's neck and scrambled to secure the key in his hand.

* * *

Kimberly was slightly relieved when she arrived at the dimension Zordon had sent them to. She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, but she was immensely grateful of the instant serenity that met her on arrival. 

The 'Master', seemed harmless enough, but his deep voice quickened Kimberly's heartbeat a little. She was scared of failing the tests; she always thought she had too much confidence at times, but she had only been a ranger for less than a week and she couldn't help but feel her few victories in the role were due more to luck than pre-destined skill.

After the mysterious man's explanation of the test, Kimberly felt the fear creep higher into her throat. She couldn't say a thing.

"Let go of your fear," he told her. "If you continue to embrace the fear, you will fail…let it go, and free your soul with a confession."

Kimberly bit her lip. "Okay…" she sighed before starting up again. "I…one of my friends- actually, he's a power ranger, too- I…I like him. Oh my gosh, I can't believe I just said that." She stopped abruptly and cringed. "I mean, everything is just really weird right now, and I don't know if I should tell him. But, I don't even know if I really feel that way. I don't think he'd expect it, not from me. I totally don't let it show, and I think he thinks we don't have anything in common. I don't think he's ever noticed...we've become closer over the last year, but I think he thinks we're just friends...I think he likes some other girl, anyway..."

The elderly man nodded his head once. "How do you feel, pink warrior?"

Kimberly blinked and slightly shrugged. "Better," she breathed out. It was an honest reply. She felt a strange relief in finally getting it off her chest, even if it wasn't to anyone who could change the situation for her.

Suddenly, a loud screech tore through the serenity and drew her gaze to the sky above them. Kimberly's eyes fell on the magenta bird circling the enclosure, dipping and twirling slightly, before reaching new heights.

"Wow…what's that bird?" She spun her head around to speak to the master, but to her surprise, he was gone.

She was on her own.

"Okay…so, like what happens now?" she said to herself. She walked around a nearby cluster of rocks, her eyes going between the agile bird in the sky and the surroundings.

How she just wished she had some direction. She wasn't good at guessing this type of thing.

_Wait…what's that? _she thought, as she spotted a bow and arrow sitting on a nearby bolder.

The sleek weapon was glistening in the light from above, and Kimberly took it in her hands to inspect it. She'd done archery at school earlier in the year, but she couldn't say she knew how to use one properly. If what the Master had told her was correct, she had to assume she was supposed to use the weapon for some reason, but she didn't know what that was.

The bird called out from the sky again and she quickly realized.

_I have to kill the bird? That beautiful bird?_

She groaned a little to herself. "I can't do this."

* * *

Meanwhile, Jason was struggling to comprehend his own quest as he stared at the mystical creature suddenly before him. His head was still swirling after his confession to the 'Master', and he was lacking his usual concentration. Out of all the rangers, he understood the importance of using more than just combat to fulfill the role of a great warrior. Indeed, he wanted to prove it today more than ever before. 

He glanced around the grassy field enclosure, and then quickly decided to do a run around the perimeter. The dragon like creature that had appeared after his confession remained motionless, it's jewel like eyes following the red ranger as he slowly made his way around the enclosure.

_I don't understand…what am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to look for something? And, if this is testing our combat, am I supposed to kill the dragon? _

Jason stopped as he spotted a long, sleek blade in a shorter patch of grass, and he quickened his step. He picked the weapon up, his eyes briefly inspecting the blade as he ran his gloved hand over its smooth surface. It was clearly a powerful weapon, one that inspired awe in the red ranger as he turned back to face the dragon being with a new boost of confidence.

As if sensing Jason's assurance, the red dragon stalked towards him. Jason's grip tightened around the red, intricate handle and he waited for the creature to tighten the gap between them.

The dragon stopped a mere few yards away and snorted a puff of smoke from its nostrils. Sharp teeth protruded from its lean snout, and the low growl it was making clearly indicated to Jason that it wanted to harm him. Jason stepped forward, planning to strike, when he suddenly pulled back.

He could suddenly see a small, glimmering item around the creature's neck. From what he could tell, it appeared to be a key of some kind and a thought suddenly jumped into Jason's mind.

_I have to get the key…this isn't about killing the dragon- I have to get the key from around it's neck without killing it! _

Jason instantly tried to think how he'd do it, but his mind immediately went to his friends- he prayed beyond imagination that they'd understand the task before it was too late.

* * *

Kimberly raised her newly acquired weapon above her, both eyes squinting as she tried to pinpoint the effortlessly soaring bird above. She didn't want to kill a poor animal, but she didn't want to be held back by her fear once again. She'd already nearly failed a mission before because she was too scared, and she didn't want to let her friends down again. 

_Argh! I wish the bird would stop flying around in circles…how am I ever supposed to hit it if it doesn't stay still-. _

She let out a little yelp as she accidentally let the string in her hand go, it's force sending the sharp arrow flying through the still air. To Kimberly's shock, the arrow sliced through the creature's left wing, and it let out a painful scream before falling helplessly to the ground below.

Kimberly blinked, holding back the feelings of guilt that immediately swept through her. She tentatively walked towards the fallen creature, its fluttering eyes and strained call the only indications that it was still alive. Kimberly knelt down next to the creature and it snapped it's large beak towards her, as if using its only avenue to fight back.

_It's not dead…I suppose I need to finish it…Gosh, this is totally awful…_

She grimaced beneath her helmet. Her eyes suddenly widened as she recognized a chain around the bird's lean neck, and she leant towards it, dodging another attack from the injured creature as she hastily lifted the chain from it.

_A key…_

Kimberly stood up, her eyes glancing once more over the key, before she looked around her enclosure. It was then she spotted a stone door in the short distance, as if it had just suddenly appeared from nowhere.

"Yes!" she gasped excitedly to herself, breaking out into a sprint as she headed for what she hoped was the exit.

* * *

Jason had struggled to contain the full use of his power sword, as he tried to nab the key from around the dragon's neck. The fiery creature had attempted to fight the red ranger back, but he had finally managed to hook the large blade under the chain and yank it from the creature. 

It had taken him a few minutes to work out what the key was supposed to be used for. He had walked the perimeter of the enclosure once more, and discovered a door, the intricate metal lock clearly the size of the key he'd just received. He wasn't sure what would possibly greet him on the other side of the door, but he hoped that the spiritual quest was almost done.

He hoped his teammates were okay.

He turned the key in the lock and heard it click, before he pushed it open. He walked through the open space and his heart almost jumped into his throat as he collided with someone on the other side.

"Jason!" Trini exclaimed with clear relief.

Jason looked up at his friend in yellow, his own relief quickly dissipating his moment of surprise. "You guys have already finished?" he asked, as he noticed his teammates standing beside Trini.

They nodded. "Except for Kimberly," Trini revealed. "We haven't seen her yet."

Jason concealed his concern for his close friend by asking his other friends how their tasks had gone. They all agreed that whilst the tasks themselves were not very difficult, they were certainly confusing and they were all relieved that they had worked out what to do.

"Hey, do you think that Kim-."

"Guys!" Kimberly's voice rasped out to them, and Jason could see his friend in pink run towards them.

She stopped, clearly out of breath and Jason was about to ask her if she was okay, when a mass of darkness suddenly came up behind her. Jason recognized the creature as the one responsible for taking their parents and he instantly called out to the pink ranger in desperation.

"Kim, watch out!"

Kimberly yelped as she spun around and saw the creature, before she stumbled towards them. Jason stepped in front of his friends, and tightened his grip around his new weapon. He remembered that Zordon had told them they would need their weapons to save their parents and he was more than grateful to have the powerful blade by his side.

"You're going down!" Jason yelled at the monster.

He began for it with his sword extended, and swiped the sharp blade towards the creature's torso. The monster let out a harrowing scream from its wide-open mouth, before it launched a powerful fist back towards Jason. Jason fell backwards, recovering himself in time to watch his yellow and black teammates launch their own weaponry attacks.

"You like that, huh?" Zack mocked at the creature, as he sent his axe down the side of their opponent.

Billy joined them from the other side and managed to trip the creature over with a powerful swipe of his lance. The monster screamed out once more before it leapt back up and hit back at the blue ranger in a sickening blow.

"You okay?" Kimberly called out to their fallen teammate, before she straightened herself up and cocked her bow and arrow towards the creature. "Guys, move out of the way. Time to shut this freak show up for good!" she jibbed, as she released three arrows succinctly.

Each arrow pierced through the creature's mouth and caused an obvious amount of damage. The harrowing thunder of pain was deafening, and Jason used the moment to regrouped his teammates and discuss their next plan of attack.

"You guys okay?" he asked his friends, and they all quickly nodded.

"Guys, we have to hit it in the mouth," Kimberly suggested, extending a finger forwards. "The arrows really knocked it about. I think Zordon said that the creature like swallowed our parents up…maybe our parents are like in his mouth?"

"I think Kim's right," Zack stated. "Those screams and stuff sound like people screaming."

"Alright, try and aim some more arrows to its mouth, Kim," Jason agreed.

She nodded, clearly enjoying her contribution to the attack. Jason watched as she launched a second shower of sharp arrows, each hitting on target, but once again void of the degree of power necessary to free their parents.

"Uh, I have a suggestion," Billy spoke up. "I think that Zordon mentioned something about combining our weapons…perhaps it might be advantageous to try. It might just give us the power levels necessary to pierce the creatures core."

Jason nodded. "Sounds good!"

He watched, as electricity seemed to pulsate up the blade, the same energy illuminating the other rangers' weapons' also. Zack stepped forward and extended his axe, as Kimberly's power bow seemed to meet his weapon like a magnet and they connected together. Trini and Billy's power weapons' quickly connected to the bow, and Jason immediately joined his sword down the center of the newly constructed weapon.

"Fire!" they all shouted out in unison as Jason initiated the powerful fire of energy. Streams of electricity showered from the cannon, each ray shattering the creature's mouth, one after the other.

The creature finally screamed before seemingly exploding before them. Jason only managed to see the creature's final moment tick before them before they were each automatically teleported away without warning.

* * *

Trini immediately removed her helmet as her feet touched the familiar floor of the command center, and she grabbed her best friend in a quick hug. The two girls continued to hold each other, before she heard Jason's stern voice address their mentor. 

"Zordon, what happened? Did we destroy the Fear Eater and where are our parents?"

"RANGERS, WELL DONE ON COMPLETING YOUR SPIRITUAL QUESTS TO RECEIVE YOUR POWER WEAPONS. I AM SURE THAT YOU LEARNT MORE ABOUT YOURSELVES FROM THE TASKS. YOUR WEAPONS WILL BECOME A VALUABLE ASSET IN YOUR FUTURE BATTLES, AND SHOULD YOU USE THEM WISELY, THEY WILL BE OF AN IMMENSE IMPORTANCE TO YOU ALL.

"BY COMBINING YOUR POWER WEAPONS, YOU WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY DESTROY THE FEAR EATER, WHICH IN TURN SET YOUR KIDNAPPED PARENTS BACK TO THE SCOTT RESIDENCE WHERE THEY WERE TAKEN. AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE VIEWING GLOBE, ALL ARE SAFE AND UNHARMED."

Trini looked at the viewing globe, relief expelling as a sigh as she briefly caught a glimpse of her parents. She frowned as they appeared to be unmoving and quickly turned back to Zordon.

"Zordon, why do all our parents have their eyes closed?"

"THEY ARE ALL SLEEPING…IT'S A NATURAL REACTION BY ALL HUMANS WHEN RETURNING FROM THE FEAR DIMENSION. THEY SHOULD ALL AWAKE SOON, AND WHEN THEY DO, THEY WILL HAVE NO MEMORY OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED."

Trini nodded. She was relieved beyond words by that fact, knowing that her father would have probably had her shipped away if he could recall being kidnapped by some demonic monster.

"Hey Zordon, what's with the keys?" Zack asked, as he motioned to the black key suddenly hanging around his neck.

Trini touched her own neck and noticed she too had her key from her quest.

"THOSE KEYS BELONGED TO MYSELF MANY THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO WHEN I FOUGHT AGAINST THE FORCES OF EVIL. TO PROTECT THE POWER AND ACCESS TO IT, ANYONE WHO TRIED TO WRONGFULLY STEAL THE POWER WERE UNABLE TO DO SO, WITHOUT THE USE OF ALL FIVE KEYS. ALTHOUGH, I DO NOT ENVISAGE YOU USING THEM, HOLD THEM CLOSE TO YOU ALWAYS, AS THEY ARE JUST ANOTHER REMINDER OF THE BOND YOU SHARE WITH ONE AND OTHER."

"Guys, there's something I think we all need to talk about," Jason spoke up, turning to address each of his teammates. His eyes were like steel, the intensity of what he was about to say clear to Trini as she gave him her full attention.

"We need to think about how Rita is affecting our lives and everyone else on Earth, especially in Angel Grove," he stated. "We can't just let Rita scare everyone else off, especially when we know we're capable of taking care of her no matter what she throws at us."

"I think it's clear that the fear installed within the wider population of Angel Grove is a direct result of their uncertainty of our intentions," Billy stated.

Trini nodded. "I know that my father doesn't trust the power rangers," she admitted. "When I tried to speak to him about it, he told me such talk of superheroes was ridiculous. I wish there was some way that we could let them all know that we can protect them."

"We could tell them ourselves," Jason stated.

Kimberly frowned, glancing at Trini, before looking directly at the red ranger. "That would be a great idea, if it wasn't for the whole not-exposing-our-identities thing," she replied.

"I mean, we could go morphed," Jason rephrased. "We could do an interview, or a speech on the news. Maybe if they got to see us, they wouldn't be so afraid of us."

"THAT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA, JASON," Zordon praised.

"So, what should we say?" Zack wondered.

"Let's write a speech," Trini suggested. "That way, we won't miss out anything. We want to get this perfect."

* * *

Kimberly held her breath. She couldn't work out whether or not she was excited or nervous, but as she stood beside her morphed teammates, she guessed that it was a mixture of both. 

Looking through the dark visor of her helmet, she cast her eyes over the small crowd of citizens that had come to see them. They were the brave ones, the curious ones, the people who wanted to know more about the rangers. As Kimberly looked at all of their faces, she mostly saw fear but she silently prayed that their presence that day would turn their expressions into a form of hope.

She glanced up to the red ranger beside her, and watched as his gloved hand took the microphone from the reporter. The middle-aged media heavyweight immediately stepped back, as though he wanted to view them all for himself.

"Good Afternoon everyone in Angel Grove City, as well as to everyone else wherever you are. We have come here this afternoon before you in an attempt to give you all hope, and most importantly a promise. As everyone knows by now, this planet has come under attack by an alien force. We know that some of you may find that idea crazy, but with numerous attacks in less than a week, it's time that everyone takes this seriously.

"We are the Power Rangers, and our sworn duty is to protect the entire world from these evil beings who intend to take over the planet. We won't let them win, nor will we allow these attacks to continue to damage the reputation of this great city of Angel Grove. But in order for us to do this, we need everyone's help.

"We understand that you're all scared and many of you want to leave Angel Grove, and we hope that we can convince everyone not to give in to these alien forces. By allowing them to install fear in everyone, they may as well have destroyed this city. We promise you all that we will not let you down. We intend to fight back against Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd's empire for as long as it takes."

Jason bowed his helmeted head slightly as his speech came to an end, and Kimberly was surprised when at least half the crowd offered him a round of applause. Their gratefulness seemed slightly strained, but their faces at least seemed to believe his words.

Kimberly put her hands to her morpher as they all prepared to teleport, when the reporter quickly barreled towards them.

"Just another few questions! Please, can you tell us more about this Rita Repulsa, Lord Zedd, and in particular these alien beings that have repeatedly showed up in this precinct over the past week?"

Once again, the red ranger leaned towards the microphone. "Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd have powerful abilities, including the knowledge on how to create monsters. They intend to send these monsters down to destroy the planet, which is where our job comes in. The gray creatures are called 'putties' and they are mindless warriors sent down to disrupt your lives. By staying out of their way, we can promise you that we will attend all situations as soon as we can. Thankyou."

"Just another question!" the reporter quickly babbled, running a hand over his balding head. "Can you please tell us more about yourselves? Who are you exactly and where do you come from?"

Kimberly felt her heartbeat quicken at the reporter's query and she hoped that Jason would answer the million-dollar question in the right way.

"We are the power rangers," the red ranger replied simply. "All you need to know is we're on your side."

Kimberly smiled at his simple answer and they all offered the crowd a quick wave before they jetted away into the sky. Their streaks of color produced an almost rainbow illusion in the overcast sky, as though they were once again trying to prove that there was still some beauty left in the world.

* * *

The rangers arrived shortly after back at the Scott residence, each of them now un-morphed and ready to face their parents. They all immediately flooded into the living room, holding back sniggers as they spotted their parents all asleep in the various seats around the room. 

"Do you think we should wake them?" Kimberly asked.

Jason smiled and Zack chuckled. "No way! We should go get a camera or something!" the black ranger enthused with a mischievous glee in his eyes.

Jason laughed slightly at his friend's suggestion, but his eyes were pulled towards the television as he noticed a familiar scene flash up on the screen.

"Look, you guys; it's us!" Kimberly enthused as she noticed the report on the screen.

"Jase, you sound great," Trini stated.

Billy nodded, his hands in his pockets. "Affirmative," he agreed. "I think you've projected a clear message of our good will towards the city and it's citizens."

Jason didn't reply to his friends' kind words' and instead watched his speech carefully. He had been so focused while doing it that he never noticed the looks of the citizens in the crowd. The people actually applauded, glimmers of belief shining from their wary eyes. It may take a lot of speeches, but Jason believed that they had gotten through to at least some of the population with their message.

Trini yawned and then smiled. "Do you think they'll notice if we all drop on the floor here and have a nap?" she joked.

"Yeah, I need it after beating off that lion today," Zack mused, as though declaring he had won a tougher battle than the rest of his friends.

Jason rolled his eyes. "I think my dragon would have eaten your lion for breakfast," he teased.

Zack scoffed playfully. "Yeah, right; so I supposed you think that's why you deserve the big sword, right?"

Jason clasped his hands together. "Hey, they don't make just anybody the leader of the power rangers, you know," he joked.

Trini and Kimberly glanced at each other as Billy spoke up. "I believe that our weapons were all ready pre-designated before our quests were completed," he stated seriously.

Zack chuckled slightly. "This coming from pony boy here," he teased his friend in blue, playfully punching him on the arm.

"Okay, you guys, how about none of you are the best," Kimberly commented, crossing her arms over her chest. "Besides, I believe it was my weapon that led us to destroy that thing, anyhow," she added with a cheeky smile.

"Sister, don't even make me remind you that you had to confront a bird…I mean, come on- a bird?"

Kimberly rolled her eyes at Zack and he rested his eyes on her with more seriousness in his expression. "So, what did you confess to the 'Master', anyway?" he asked.

"I'm not telling you that...it's a secret..."

"Aw, come on; so none of you are gonna share?" Zack coaxed them each.

Trini giggled and Billy shook his head. "I would have to agree with Kimberly on this one; it was a spiritual quest, and I do believe the confessions were to remain private-."

"What are you lot talking about?" Jason's mother suddenly spoke up, her voice scratchy. She straightened herself up in the couch, only then realizing that she had been asleep. "Why is everyone asleep?" she asked.

Jason glanced quickly at his friends, before eying his mother directly. "Uh, I think it's just one of those rainy weekend days," he replied simply.

---

**Coming up in Episode 11 "The Gender Bender: Part 1":** _A school project goes horribly wrong for Billy and causes chaos when he accidentally switches bodies with Kimberly. As they struggle to live the others' life, will they gain an insight into the opposite sex they never thought they'd have? And what happens when they can't work out a way to switch back again?_


	12. Ep11: The Gender Bender I

**REBIRTH OF THE LEGACY**

**The Gender Bender: Part 1 - Episode 11**

By Chanelle Summer

Thanks to everyone for your reviews- you guys are awesome and I appreciate them so much!

_Angel Grove High School is hosting a sex-education awareness week for the students, and brings the subject of boys and girls in the spotlight. But when Billy and Kimberly pair up for a science assignment that goes horribly wrong, what situations will they get in when they accidentally switch bodies? Is the grass always greener for the opposite sex? Find out next..._

_

* * *

_

**_Angel Grove High School _**

**_Monday 21st February 1994_**

"So, can someone name a type of contraception that could be used?"

Kimberly blinked and raised an eyebrow. The silence was deathly, as the classroom of teenagers mellowed into an uncomfortable quiet.

Today was the first lesson of sex-education for the entire freshman grade, and only five minutes into the class, Kimberly already found herself wishing the lesson were over. It's not that Kimberly was naive when it came to the discussion of subjects revolving around sex, but it was more that she didn't particularly wish to discuss it with twenty other people.

Not to mention, the guest speaker made for a particularly intriguing barrier.

"Anyone?" Kathleen Scott glanced around the class of cringing students and smiled gently. "Okay, I can see that everyone is a bit shy, that's okay...if you like, I can start us off and then we'll take it from there."

Kimberly looked up as Jason dropped his head over her shoulder, leaning forwards from behind her. "If she says anything remotely embarrassing, I am going to personally jump up and leave..." he whispered to her.

Trini smiled from beside Kimberly. "I'm really feeling for you right now, Jason," the Yellow Ranger whispered back with a touch of amusement in her tone.

"Okay, condoms is the main one," Kath suggested to the group, as she wrote it up on the board.

"The contraceptive pill?" Lauren Saunders raised her hand.

Kath nodded. "Good suggestion, Lauren..."

Kimberly sighed and kept quiet as the group discussion continued until finally the class of twenty-five was split up into groups of five. Kimberly turned herself around on the ground and she smiled relived at her close friends as they all huddled in a small circle. Kimberly lifted the slip of paper in her hand and began to read it out loud.

"Okay, so here's our topic to discuss: talk about the problems faced by both boys and girls, in regards to their sexual development and interaction with each other and write a list for each, deciding whether boys or girls have it easier." Kimberly paused and half-smiled. "I can think of about thirty things for girls, and like only a few for boys..."

Zack and Jason cocked their heads in near unison and the black ranger lightly scoffed. "Are you serious?" Zack asked her incredulously. "There is no way that girls have it harder than boys."

Trini shook her head. "I have to agree with Kim, boys- girls have so much to deal with..."

Billy shuffled awkwardly on the spot and motioned to the note pad in Trini's lap. "I think we should start working on our list," he suggested, clearly mindful that there was little class time left.

Zack sighed. "Monthly stuff," he murmured, his vague comment causing his female friends to giggle lightly, as Trini wrote his suggestion on their list.

Kimberly smiled and shrugged. "How about boys getting excited over girls?" she suggested.

_There's no way I'm actually going to use the 'E' word..._Kimberly thought to herself.

Kimberly widened her eyes as Jason, Zack and Billy all remained quiet and she slumped her shoulders. "Come on guys, there's heaps for girls...getting breasts, stopping boys from hitting on us-."

"Whatever, it's us who has to do all the work...trying to please girls is not an easy thing to do. We have to be the ones to ask you out on dates, keep you happy, do everything exactly right..."

"Not to mention, we have to read a girl's mind to even know what to do," Jason added to Zack's comment.

Kimberly shook her head. "You guys are so clueless," she mused. "Plus, we're not talking about how hopeless you guys are at getting dates- this is about sexual development. We need to get a list together, or else we're gonna have a tough time when we have to do our group speech."

"Don't worry, Kim, I've already written a list for us," Trini announced and they all seemed to sigh with relief.

They were all fifteen and sex was a big part of their personal thoughts. Kimberly knew darn well that there were a few of her fellow students in the class who were already sexually active, but even they didn't jump up and down and shout it to the world.

For everyone else who hadn't taken that step, or even reached second base, the discussions left them all thinking it was a milestone they could reach that week, or month or year. Kimberly had only turned fifteen less than two weeks earlier and she just didn't want to be thinking about it. She hadn't even had a boyfriend for longer than a few weeks and there was no way she'd even go pass the kissing stage with anyone just because it's what everyone else was doing.

Sex was the only thing she could think of that could make a group of teenagers so verbal yet so silent. Everybody could joke about the subject as much as they wanted, but it was still a very sensitive issue out in the open. Fleeting comments were fine; a group speech in front of their class was simple a horrendous concept. 

Zack shook his head. "Speaking of girls, you're not going to believe what happened to me this morning..." he commented.

"What? Angela actually spoke to you?" Jason jibed, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

Zack smirked at his best friend and then shook his head again. "Darlene walked in on me in the bathroom...didn't even knock! She just barged in like she owned the room..."

They all chuckled. "You're not alone there, Zack, I've had that happen to me," Jason revealed, as he stared at Kimberly.

Kimberly scoffed. "I didn't do it on purpose," she protested. "Besides, it's not my fault that you never lock the door..." She straightened herself up. "Okay, I have a question I've always wanted to ask," she began as a thought entered her mind. She squared her gaze on Zack and Jason. "When guys go to the public bathroom, do they...you know...look at each other while they pee?" Kimberly asked.

They all giggled at the pink ranger's question and Zack quickly scrunched his face up. "You mean you wanna know if we look at each like that? Hell no!" he confirmed. "Do you girls look at each other when you get changed after PE?"

Kimberly and Trini both scoffed at his question. "No way!" Kimberly told him, but she losing her battle to conceal her amusement.

"I can't believe your mom volunteered as a guest speaker this week," Trini commented, motioning to Jason with even eyes. "It's hard enough when it is just a normal teacher, but to have your mom..."

"How are you guys going?" Kath asked, as she knelt down beside Zack and interrupted Trini's comments.

Trini nodded. "We've finished our list," she confirmed with a tight smile.

"Good work," Kath praised. "Could you decide whether or not boys or girls have it easier sexually in their teenage years?"

They all looked at each other, nobody willing to start the argument.

* * *

Science class usually was a mixed bag. There were atoms, physics and chemicals; subjects that were usually only mastered by the top students of the school. Kimberly was certainly of the higher percentage, but by no means was she an Einstein- for that reason alone, she always preferred the other, less technical angles of science. 

So, she could just imagine her luck when their partners were announced for a major free-choice assignment and she was paired with the smartest student in their grade. She figured almost instantly that her chances of her doing 'plant photosynthesis' for her assignment had pretty much flown out the window.

Of course, her partner was instantly bursting with possibilities. Billy never ceased to amaze her like that. The particulars of science rolled off his tongue with a passion Kimberly reserved for her gymnastics, music or shopping. She didn't understand an enthused word he spoke, but being the good friend he was, he still encouraged her to offer her opinions.

It had taken him only a matter of days to complete the machine, explaining to her that he had been experimenting with the concept for months. This class saw them sitting out of view of everyone else in a secluded corner of the room, Kimberly passing Billy various tools as he finished what he called the 'final touches'. And it all seemed to be going smoothly until Kimberly actually understood what they were doing.

"Say that again?"

Billy kept his emerald eyes fixed on their newly constructed project before him, which basically looked like a metal box. "As I explained to you earlier, it's a system which I hope will facilitate thought to thought transfer between two people."

Kimberly listened to each word carefully. "So…you're saying that this machine will allow us to read each other's minds?"

Billy nodded, evidently pleased. "Affirmative," he replied.

Kimberly raised an eyebrow. "Are you totally serious? Billy, if this machine could actually do that, you'd turn us into millionaires."

Billy offered her a small smile. "I believe we should be ready to try it," he stated, straightening himself up. He removed the scientific goggles perched on his nose and Kimberly could tell he noticed her cringe.

She tried to regain herself. "Billy…are you sure about this?"

The blue ranger's eyes' softened slightly, void of any impatience. "It'll be fine, Kim…we have both experienced far worse in the last few weeks."

Kimberly conceded with a nod. Billy was right, of course.

"So, what do I do?"

"I'm going to place these pads on your forehead. The leads from them are hooked to the central processor." He pointed as he explained. "We then need to hold hands, which will hopefully allow the currency to be transferred between us."

Kimberly watched in quiet amazement as Billy set their machine up and she bit her lip as he took her hand in his. A big part of her didn't think anything would happen, but she could see the excitement in her friend's eyes'. If he believed there was a possibility it would work, then she had to believe him.

_Oh gosh- what if he finds out about-. _

Her thoughts were cut short as he flicked the switch and the ten seconds following were slammed away as current after current of electricity pressed against her head. The sensation forced her to close her eyes, and she only managed to slowly open them again as the ravaging abruptly ended.

"Billy, I don't think anything happened-."

The words stopped as her gradually opening eyes rested on her friend and she realized he was suddenly wearing a pink sweater. It was then she noticed the long dark locks sitting pertly over the magenta material, but the sudden blurriness in her eyesight made her look down as she reached her hands to her face.

_Wait- I'm wearing glasses…how did I get Billy's glasses on…wait a – oh my gosh! _

"Billy!" she gasped, as she quickly removed the glasses and thoughtlessly tossed them on the small table between them.

"Kimberly, I-."

"What did that machine just do to my eyes?" she snapped. "Why is it that I can see myself sitting where you're supposed to be and-."

"Uh, I think the malfunctioning interlock generators overloaded and somehow we've undergone spatial personality displacement."

"In English, please!"

"We seem to have changed bodies," he stammered. "My brain is in your body, and yours appears to be in mine-."

"What!" she hissed, standing up. She cast her eyes down, running her hands over the clothes she had seen her brainy teammate wear to school that day.

The lines of her body certainly didn't belong to her. She moved her gaze towards her friend- towards her body- and realized he was speaking the truth.

"Kimberly, lower your voice…we don't want attention drawn in this direction at this moment…"

Somehow, someway, something had gone seriously wrong with their school project. Their grade was suddenly the furthest thing from their minds- the fact that they had suddenly found themselves in the others body was something neither could begin to comprehend.

* * *

Jason walked steadily down the locker corridor after the last bell rang for that day. He didn't have anywhere in particular to be, but he had Zack coming to stay the night while Mr. and Mrs. Taylor were out of town and he didn't want to waste a moment longer at school. 

He spotted his best friend up ahead, his locker wide open, but his dark eyes resting on Angela who was stopped beside him. Jason gathered by the smile on Zack's face and the genuine one returned by his on and off again girlfriend, that the couple were definitely back on.

_Great, that's all I'll hear about tonight… _

He chuckled slightly and turned to his own locker, opening it up and sorting through the stack of books and folders inside. He was hoping that Kimberly wouldn't take too long that afternoon, when he heard her in the distance, the bite in her tone catching him off guard.

"I didn't do it deliberately!" Jason heard her pained voice.

The red ranger watched with a hint of concern as he realized her comment was directed to Billy who was pacing before her with an unusual scowl on his face.

"Hey, what's up?" Jason asked as casually as possible. He watched as Billy brushed past him and stopped before Kimberly's locker, fiddling with the lock several times, before it swung open.

"Billy, why are you going through Kimberly's locker?" Trini asked, as she approached her friends all ready to walk home.

"Argh!" Billy practically hissed, causing Trini to flinch.

"Kim, just try to relax-."

"Relax? How? This is your fault, Billy, we should have-."

"Whoa," Jason cut his friends' bickering off and eyed them both sternly. "Kim, you just called Billy, 'Kim'."

"And Billy, you just called Kim 'Billy'." Trini pointed out, equally confused.

As though afraid he was missing out on something, Zack made his way through the small clumps of students toward them, his sunny expression cutting through the confused confrontation.

"Hey, what's up?" the black ranger asked with a grin.

"I think Kimberly and Billy are having a bad day," Trini mentioned.

Billy snorted. "Bad day? That doesn't even cover half of it."

"Look, as I told you before, I had no knowledge that the central processor would overload in such a cataclysmic way or instigate such an unfathomable conclusion," Kimberly rambled, her eyes clearly anguished.

Jason looked to Zack who instantly mirrored his look of bewilderment. "Um, I think you've been spending too much time with Billy-man, Kim," the black ranger joked.

"Guys, what's going on?" Jason asked his two friends. This time, there was nothing casual about his tone.

"Billy's invention for our science project completely backfired and somehow we switched bodies with each other."

"Yeah, ha-ha guys," Zack jibbed.

"Kimberly's telling the truth… it appears when I finalized our group project, the generator overloaded and malfunctioned, which in turn caused spatial personality displacement."

Trini's face drew seriously. "Are you two trying to tell us that you've switched bodies?" she asked in clear disbelief.

Jason looked at his brainy friend, who was unusually chewing on his bottom lip. The trademark fidgeting that had always belonged to Kimberly immediately confirmed their wild tale as being the truth. Billy was not a good actor and the varying body language between the two was so opposite from normal that Jason knew it wasn't an act.

"How could this happen?" the red ranger asked, looking at 'Kimberly'.

"I cannot be certain…I will have to wait until I can carefully reconstruct the generator and service all of the leads."

"Whoa," Zack murmured in disbelief.

"Can't you just do the opposite and switch back?" Jason asked the obvious.

"I was going to suggest that myself, but Billy didn't have a chance to do anything because the bell went and class was dismissed. I'm sure we can sneak in the lab room and do it now."

"Uh, actually…I'm afraid that option is not currently viable. The laboratories are timely locked after the each class and we'll be unable to retrieve the device until tomorrow-."

"What! Billy, I cannot wait until tomorrow, I have a ton of things to do-."

"Guys, lower your voices!" Trini quietly hissed at them, as three students walked past and eyed the group with raised eyebrows.

"Look, there's obviously nothing we can do about this until tomorrow," Jason reasoned. "Kim- I mean Billy," he sighed as Billy scowled. "Let's just get home…tomorrow, Billy will do the switch and everything will go back to normal."

"It had better."

"Kim, I told you I'm sorry."

"Come on," Jason said, placing one hand each on both of his miss-matched friends, before dragging them down the hall and to the exit.

* * *

Billy hesitated as Jason and Billy walked through the entrance of the Scott residence. He felt his pink boots dig into the ground below and only managed to follow when Zack grabbed him around the arm and practically pulled him through. He quickly glanced in the mirror hanging in the main hallway and fixed his hair, allowing himself a quiet moment to gather himself before he had to interact with Jason's mother. 

_I must compose myself, I know Kimberly well enough, and I am certain Jason and Zack will be of an immense benefit to me under the circumstances-._

"Kimberly! Can you please come here, sweetheart?"

Billy heard Jason's mother's call loud and clear, and headed with a dubious step in the direction of the living room. On entry, his eyes were met by bizarre expressions from both his male friends; Jason's eyes were hinting a look of amusement, while Zack was obviously struggling with something he found hilarious.

Billy frowned and was about to ask his friends what they found so entertaining, when Mrs. Scott suddenly appeared through the other doorway.

"Here you are, Kim; try this on for me," she asked, as she continued towards Billy with a shiny garment on a hanger.

Billy tried to conceal a frown and casually expressed his confusion. "Uh, what is that?" he questioned, as he took the outfit from Jason's mother.

She blinked at him and then smiled. "It's your cheerleading outfit for tomorrow," she explained. "Try it on for me now, so I can make any adjustments tonight..."

Billy stared at her, his mouth slightly ajar. Avoiding the quiet snigger from Zack, he headed out for the bathroom, his hand clenched around the tiny sports costume. He closed the door and immediately dropped down on the edge of the bathtub, his eyes staring with trepidation at the female attire in his lap.

"How do I even put this on?" he whispered to himself, as he turned the outfit around several times, inspecting the various angles for some kind of answer to his predicament.

After realizing that the outfit was a two-piece, he slowly trudged himself to a standing position and proceeded to remove his clothes so that he could put the cheerleading uniform on. He kept his eyes squeezed shut through the tedious process, struggling to keep his balance as he blindly pulled the tiny items of clothing on his body.

Satisfied that he successfully had the uniform on, he opened his eyes and quickly glanced in the mirror, before heading out to the living room. He forced a smile as he walked up to where Mrs. Scott was sitting at the dining table and watched as she removed her reading glasses and nodded her head in seeming approval.

"That looks good," she praised, before squinting her eyes. "Although I think I may have to take that waist in a bit..."

Billy turned as he heard Jason and Zack burst back into the living room, his eyes avoiding theirs as his two friends grinned at him impishly.

"Hey, _Kimberly_," Zack teased. "You look great in your uniform..."

"Yeah, you look really pretty," Jason added in a humorous tone.

Billy glared at them, before he turned around as Mrs. Scott spoke up. "I agree, Kim, you look perfect in it...you are really going to give the 'wow' factor tomorrow."

Billy forced another smile and then cleared his throat. "Uh-um, is it um okay if I go now and um...do something in my room?" he asked.

"Sure, make sure you get changed though, I want to get those adjustments done before dinner."

Billy nodded and hurried out of the room, heading in the direction of Kimberly's bedroom. He burst through the slightly open door, sighing with frustration as he heard Zack and Jason enter not too far behind him.

"I would appreciate if you would both stop laughing at my expense," Billy informed them impatiently as Jason closed the door. "This is no laughing matter."

"Aw, come on Kim...I mean...God man, this is weird!" Zack stammered, shaking his head with amazement.

Billy fidgeted, feeling uncomfortable in the small outfit he was still wearing. He couldn't stop wondering how on earth girls managed to wear such outfits, and perform amazing acrobatics in them at the same time.

"So, tell us what it's like," Zack spoke up, as the two boys sat down on Kimberly's bed.

Billy sat down on the stool to Kimberly's vanity table and frowned at his friend's question.

"Tell us what it's like to be a girl," Jason elaborated quietly. "Come on, we want details."

Billy cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, but I am not some sort of lab rat," he told them coldly. "This is nothing short of completely embarrassing..."

Zack shook his head. "Come on, you must be feeling something...do you feel different-."

"Of course I feel different, Zack! Look at me, I'm wearing a garment that feels at least three sizes two small for me and I'm stuck in the body of one of my closest female friends!"

He stopped as he noticed Jason and Zack suddenly look down at the ground and he was about to question their sudden change in behavior, when he noticed the reason for their discomfort.

"Oh no!" he gasped, as he quickly adjusted the tiny top that had threatened to reveal more of his female chest than what was acceptable. He stood up, hands clenched at his sides, oblivious to the fact that Jason was suddenly standing in front of him.

"Get changed," Jason told him. "Here's a top and pants you can wear-."

Their heads both spun around as the bedroom door suddenly swung open, and Jason's mother stared back at them in alarm and surprise.

She frowned. "What are you three doing in here?" she asked. "Kimberly, get changed now, Jason and Zack, please give her some privacy..."

* * *

Kimberly was still seething as she reached the Cranston residence and in her current state of frustration, she was more than grateful that Billy's father wasn't there on her arrival. Being too flabbergasted to do anything remotely reflecting her usual after school routine, she simply sat down in one of the country-styled couches in the living room and stared at the television aimlessly. 

Part of her wished that her friends would have stayed and given her some company. She was freaking out of her mind and she couldn't begin to process what had happened. Sure, Zack had tried to convince her that it would be a life-changing experience and she even managed to see a glimmer of hilarity at the situation, but now that she was alone, she had nothing but complicated thoughts swirling through her mind.

_At least Billy has Jason and Zack to help him through this, _she thought. _I hope that they organize my uniform tomorrow properly; I will personally kick their butts if they forget about it! _

She was further annoyed that she couldn't just enjoy the afternoon, one that she had been particularly looking forward to for weeks. The following day, the school was holding a special display for the freshman cheerleading team to show off their months of hard work. Kimberly knew that with all her ranger responsibilities that it would most likely be her last time cheerleading, and so it was especially important for her to leave her mark.

It seemed that their lives were always throwing some ridiculous little hurdle every week since gaining their new ranger destinies. Had the body swap happened a few weeks earlier, she definitely would have thought the concept was completely ridiculous, but it was funny what a few weeks of battling monsters in robots and morphing into superheroes could do to a fifteen year old girl.

She couldn't begin to understand how the body swap happened, but she believed in it. Already, her beliefs had changed and grown in so many ways she never could have anticipated.

Kimberly found herself flipping through some of the magazines on the coffee table, and couldn't stop herself from screwing up her face as each one was for either a computer, chess or science club of some kind. She gathered the fact that her brainy friend read such magazines so frequently was one of the reasons that he was so intelligent, but she couldn't even bring herself to glance at them for a moment too long.

_If only I had gotten some of Billy's brains, then maybe I wouldn't be so bored-. _

She looked up as she heard the doorbell chime and her instant reaction was to squirm in her chair. She dreaded the idea of someone visiting, and was only swayed to answer the door when a small part of her prayed it was one of her teammates.

"Hi Billy," a younger boy greeted as she opened the door.

She offered him a polite smile, not knowing exactly how to respond. The young boy appeared to be about twelve, and from the look on his face, Kimberly could see he obviously knew Billy personally.

So, she simply continued to smile a little stupidly, watching the boy's eyes' narrow in slight confusion.

"May I come in?" the boy continued, looking at 'him' a little strange. "You didn't forget, did you?"

Kimberly cleared her throat. She had to play along.

"No, of course not," she finally replied, and she stepped to the side to allow the lanky boy into the house.

_Great, who is this kid? Billy didn't tell me he was expecting someone this afternoon! _

"So, I practiced some of those exercises you showed me last week," the boy chattered away as he seemed to knowingly make his way towards the study. "One of them I had a little difficulty with, so I was hoping you could go through it with me again."

Kimberly began to panic as she watched the boy sit in front of the computer in the study. The little boy's hopeful eyes' shined towards whom he assumed was the computer literate Billy, and Kimberly felt the color just drain out of her face.

She knew nothing about computers. Zilch. She'd mucked around with the one at home several times in two years, but even then, it was only after Jason or Kath had turned it on and opened up the desired program for her.

The only thing she did know about computers, was that she had absolutely no idea about them. And it was going to cause a major dilemma on an afternoon that seemed to only be going from bad to worse.

* * *

_Here is goes..._

Billy sighed and reluctantly opened the drawer in front of him, the inside over flowing with neatly folded under garments. He stared at the multi-colored selection, unable to will himself to actually select one to wear. He'd never even seen a pair of female panties in real life, and that didn't even take into consideration the fact he was absolutely mortified that they all belonged to his friend.

Deciding that he preferred to get changed as soon as possible, he quickly selected some underwear and a short nightgown from the drawer, and quickly pulled them on, before removing his dressing gown. He'd allowed himself the privilege of showering for only a few minutes, a task that was made all the more interesting when he kept his eyes fixed on the white tiles around him. There was no way he would allow himself a glimpse of Kimberly's naked body.

He couldn't do it.

He would be betraying Kimberly's trust, and the awkwardness it would cause between them for years to come would be unfixable.

Satisfied that he was fully changed, he turned and glimpsed at the phone on Kimberly's nightstand. He had been struggling with the urge to call her since he'd first arrived at the Scott's, and he hoped at least that she was holding up in 'his' life. He sat down beside the wooden furniture, and put the phone to his ear as he knowingly dialed his own number.

"Good evening."

Billy bit his tongue as he felt himself almost automatically refer to the man on the other side of the phone as 'dad', and cleared his throat. "H-Hello Mr. Cranston...um, this is Kimberly."

"Kimberly...Kimberly, it is a little late to be calling now, isn't it?"

"Yes, but um, I just wished to speak to Billy briefly, I am curious as to...how his word-processing lesson went this afternoon."

Billy grimaced at the technical jumbo that automatically flowed from his lips and held his breath, as he knew his father picked up on it.

"Oh well, Kimberly, I had no idea you had such a profound interest in Billy's work," Mr. Cranston admitted, sounding rather impressed.

Billy sighed, trying to think of something to say to get his father off the phone. "So ah, I'm in the middle of curling my hair, I was just hoping to speak to Billy for just a minute..."

_There that should do it..._

"Billy!" He heard 'Kimberly' greet him from the other side of the phone.

"Kim," he practically hissed to her, "Keep your voice down, you don't want my father to hear you."

"Don't worry, he's in the other room," she explained. "I wasn't expecting you to call me."

"How have you been?"

"Uh, okay I suppose...except for...nothing..."

"Did Mark come over for his computer lesson?" Billy asked, unable to conceal the anxiousness he was feeling.

"Yeah...it uh didn't go well, though..." Her voice sounded glum and Billy cringed inwardly. "But, um, how is my costume going?" she asked him.

"Fine, I believe. Mrs. Scott informed me that it looked good, but that she needed to make some sizing adjustments to it this afternoon," he told her, choosing to keep most of the details from his embarrassing stint in the tiny outfit to himself.

"Good," she said to him, the relief evident in her voice. "Well, make sure you bring it tomorrow..."

"Certainly," he promised her, "I will not forget."

"And please remember to wear something nice to school, tomorrow is a really important day for me," she urged him. "Well, I better get going, I'm going to have an early night."

"Goodnight, Kimberly," Billy whispered into the phone as they ended the conversation. He was about to think that Kimberly's suggestion of an early night was indeed a good one, when he heard a soft knock on his door. He gathered it was Jason and Zack who hadn't stopped pestering him all evening and so he called out to whomever it was to enter.

"Hi sweetie, there's just a few things I wanted to give you," Mrs. Scott waltzed into the room, a plastic bag hanging in her left hand.

Billy eyed the woman slightly dubiously as she emptied the contents onto the bedspread and offered 'her' a smile.

"I got these at the mall today, I hope you like them…"

Jason's mother spread the bra and panties sets out proudly, both of them lacy and bright pink. Billy had certainly been not expecting them, and so wasn't sure exactly how to respond.

"Oh sweetie, you don't need to be embarrassed," Mrs. Scott told 'her' presumptuously with warm eyes. "I think you'll look wonderful in them. I know I said I'd take you shopping for some, but when I saw these, I knew that you'd love them."

The middle-aged mother pointed to what appeared to be the more simple-styled garment. "I brought this one for tomorrow, I know what a big day it is for you!"

Billy forced a smile of thanks. He was genuinely taken aback by how caring Mrs. Scott was, but the last thing Billy wanted to think about was what he was going to wear the next day.

* * *

**_Tuesday 22nd February 1994_**

Kimberly awoke the next morning instantly feeling fresh and revitalized, until she remembered the day before hand. She felt unsettled enough waking up in someone else's room, let alone in someone else's body.

She immediately headed for the shower, deciding she wouldn't change her usual routine. Billy's house was so easily laid out that she was able to find everything she needed easily enough, and she found her mind drifting away until she realized what she was doing.

"Argh!" she let out a quick noise, as she realized she'd already undressed without thinking anything about it.

Her eyes froze on the mirror in front of her before she quickly slapped her hands to her eyes and blindly made her way towards the shower. In a matter of twelve hours she'd already experienced more of Billy's life than she ever planned to, but seeing his naked body was taking the whole occasion too far.

She wrapped a towel around her male torso after the hot water ran out and she made her way back towards Billy's bedroom and opened his closet. She stared at the small selection of outfits briefly, her mind flashing back to when she had helped her brainy friend 'reinvent' himself many months earlier.

_He's never worn this one,_ Kimberly thought to herself as she selected one of the tops she had chosen for him on their shopping spree.

She picked out a pair of jeans she'd never seen him wear either and suddenly felt kind of excited about going to school that morning. Sure, she wanted nothing more than to get back into her own body, but now that she had complete creative say over Billy's for at least a day, she was looking forward to peoples' reactions' to the choice of wardrobe.

After spiking her boyish hair and feeling rather satisfied with how well she could make 'Billy' look, she headed out to the kitchen for breakfast. As she entered the bare room, she stopped and reflected for a moment, an overwhelming sense of loneliness washing over her.

It was so still. The quietness was so overwhelming, that she could hear the incessant ticking of a small clock on the wall above the refrigerator. It was strange how she would never usually notice something so small in detail. But in a house that was empty bar herself, there was nothing else there to welcome her that morning but that clock.

It made Kimberly a little sad.

Billy always seemed happy enough. She never heard him speak down on his home life or complain that things weren't the way he wanted them to be. To Kimberly, his life felt empty in so many ways and she wondered if he ever felt the same. Maybe it was something he kept to himself?

For the first time since the swap the afternoon before, she started to miss her life more than just her body.

* * *

There were so many mysteries that Billy felt when it came to the female species, and after living as a girl for over twelve hours, he only found himself more confused. 

Hairstyles.

How do girls do their hair with only two hands? He had managed to brush his hair so it at least looked half-respectable, but he knew it was by no means as nice as Kimberly usually wore it. He'd rummaged through a heart-shaped box on her vanity table, overflowing with hairpins and ribbons, but Billy had no clue as to how to actually put them in his newly long locks.

He felt himself growing in panic at the hopeless situation, when he heard a knock at the closed bedroom door.

"Come in," he grumbled.

Jason and Zack greeted him with matching grins as they strode into the room. Zack almost immediately burst into a state of laughter, and Billy shook his head in frustration at his friend's inability to treat the situation with seriousness.

"Can you please close the door," Billy told Jason, as he ran the brush through his hair for what felt like the two-hundredth time.

"Don't worry, there's no one else here but us," Jason reassured him as he closed the door and turned back to look at Billy. The red ranger blinked at him. "So um, do you need help or something?" he asked, his tone portraying his valiant effort to be sensible.

Billy could see Zack struggling to conceal another round of laughs and the blue ranger dropped the brush down on the surface of the dresser. He sighed out loud, and raised a limp hand to motion to his head.

"Please help me with my hair," the blue ranger asked. "No matter how many times I attempt to do some sort of style, I fail miserably. I need to get this right; I promised Kimberly I would."

Billy watched his two male friends exchange a look, and they both seemed to realize that they no longer had the time to joke about the bizarre circumstances. They both walked over to join him, and three teens gathered over piles of hair accessories as they tried to create a suitable style. After struggling with an attempt at a high ponytail and then low pigtails, Jason finally suggested wearing a hair band.

"At least that way, you don't have to do anything with the rest of your hair," the red ranger suggested, much to Billy's satisfaction.

He looked in the mirror after he slid the pink band in his hair, and satisfied that he looked at least respectable, he sat up from the stool and reluctantly trudged over to tackle the next, and most likely, difficult hurdle of his morning so far:

An outfit- the perfect outfit.

He sighed and pulled the closet door open, exposing the long rack full of color sorted outfits.

"Man, and I thought my sisters liked clothes!" Zack exclaimed, as they all stood staring blankly at Kimberly's range of clothing. "If she has so many clothes, then why on earth does she still go shopping so much?"

Billy shook his head, and ignored Zack's mindless observations. "What am I supposed to wear? Kimberly told me I had to dress nice today, because it's important..."

Again, the three rangers sifted through Kimberly's outfits, and Billy was relieved he had Jason there to guide him on what clothing Kimberly preferred to wear. Billy finally pulled out a white blouse and purple skirt, and his two friends nodded at his selection, agreeing it was a good choice.

"That looks like something she'd wear," Zack expressed.

"Okay, well, we'll just go and wait outside until you get dressed," Jason suggested, as he grabbed Zack's arm and headed toward the bedroom door.

Billy blinked for a moment, a reluctant voice creeping up his throat. He knew he had to ask his friends, but he was dreading it more than anything he could imagine.

"Uh, fellas...there's something else I need your assistance with..." his quiet voice reached them as Jason opened the door.

Zack turned and stared at him puzzled. "What?"

Unable to say the word out loud, Billy merely raised the lacy garment on the end of his finger and the three boys looked at each other in matching horror.

* * *

Kimberly walked almost proudly through the internal hallways of Angel Grove high that morning, feeling inwardly satisfied at the looks she was receiving in Billy's body. She knew she'd been on the money with the wardrobe selection, given the way the fellow students eyed 'him' so impressed. 

As she reached the locker hallway, she almost immediately headed for her locker, before she quickly changed course and headed for Billy's. She stared at the neatly sorted contents aimlessly, her nerves building as she waited for her friend's to arrive.

She was only a matter of ten minutes off returning to her rightful body. She just couldn't wait.

She heard Zack's loud chattering in the distance, and closed the locker door slightly to keep a lookout for the group. They finally appeared from around the corner, and her eyes widened in both shock and confusion as she laid her gaze on 'her' body walking towards her.

_What did he dress me in? And why is he wearing glasses! _

"What are you wearing?" Kimberly asked him before he could say anything, her face twisted into a look of utter horror. She reached up and hastily removed the glasses on his face before she shoved them into the pocket of her jeans.

"What's wrong with it?" Zack asked Kimberly.

"What's wrong with it, is that I would never wear that to school," she commented, eyeing Jason briefly with a slight glare. "And what is with the hair band? It doesn't match the outfit and it's the completely wrong color…

"Well, going on the complicated activities that you require every morning to get ready, Kimberly, you should be grateful that everything didn't turn out to be a complete disaster," Billy stated, his hands fidgeting over the skirt he was wearing.

She sighed, before motioning to the hanger in the red ranger's hand. "Well, at least you remembered my cheerleading uniform," Kimberly commented with an extended arm.

"How was your night, anyway?" Trini asked Kimberly.

"Fine," she replied. "Except for the bit where I blew Billy's computer up, didn't understand a word his father said at dinner time, and of yeah, the whole bit where I had to close my eyes for an entire ten minutes while I showered and got dressed this morning-."

Billy's whole female body jolted for a moment, as though he had received an electric shock. "What do you mean, you blew my computer up?" he asked her, a frown creeping over his face.

"Nothing," Kimberly quickly stated, her eyes dropping to the floor to avoid his anxious stare.

"Yeah, well Billy didn't have it easy, either," Jason commented.

"Yeah, he had to parade around in your itty-bitty outfit yesterday, not to mention it took three of us fifteen minutes this morning to work out how to put a bra on," Zack added.

Kimberly's head shot towards the black ranger, and her mouth slightly opened. "Oh my gosh, don't tell me you guys-."

"We didn't look, if that's what you're implying," Billy reassured her.

Kimberly felt herself change at least several shades of red at the thought, before the intensity changed direction and Bulk and Skull trampled through of their revealing discussion.

"Hey Kimberly," Skull spoke up first. The skinny teen ignored 'Kimberly' and eyed Billy unknowingly with his usual lovesick expression.

Kimberly could hear him chewing his gum loudly and scowled. The whole scenario felt so much different when she was watching it unfold from someone else's body.

Kimberly watched her body closely. Billy looked down a bit and Skull reached forward and ran his hand down her arm.

"I like the outfit," Skull practically cooed.

"Yeah, well she doesn't like yours," Kimberly found herself speaking up before she could think.

Her sudden outburst got Bulk's attention and he sneered towards 'him'. "Stay out of it, geek boy…although I must say, you're looking awfully pretty yourself today. Did somebody steal your goggles?"

The chubby teen began to laugh at his own comment and Skull joined in until Kimberly once again stepped forward.

"I don't know if you two actually have been listening in sex-education class this week, but girls tend to avoid dating circus animals like the plague."

Bulk widened his mouth at her comment and then immediately grabbed Kimberly around the collar, suddenly thrusting her towards the lockers behind her.

"Hey!" Kimberly gasped out, as she suddenly found her feet a foot off the ground.

Zack and Jason almost immediately lurched forward themselves, pushing Bulk back forcefully.

"Hey, leave her alone," Jason warned them.

Kimberly instantly cringed at the comment…how could he let such an error slip?

Bulk immediately burst into a loud laugh, highly amused by Jason's reference to Billy as being a 'she'.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Bulk harped, as he continued to laugh so hard that he had to grab hold of Skull's shoulder to balance himself. The two bullies walked away in their fit of hilarity and Kimberly sighed, running a hand to her face.

She didn't want to see anyone, or talk to anyone. She just wanted the whole situation over and done with before her reputation and life were completely blown into smithereens.

"Hey, Billy, you're looking nice today," a soft and familiar voice spoke towards her what seemed like a few minutes later.

Kimberly lowered her hand from her face and stared at Beth. The freshman had been growing closer to Billy over the passing months and she could tell from the twinkle in the quiet girl's eyes' that she truly liked the way her boyfriend looked that day.

Kimberly offered Beth a smile. "Thanks Beth, your hair is looking great. Did you use smoothing balm on it?" Kimberly winced as soon as the comment came flowing from her mouth and she instantly diverted her gaze to the floor.

Beth looked at 'him' confused. "Uh, yes Billy, I did. Thank you for noticing. So, I wanted to make sure we were still meeting up at lunch today?"

Kimberly blinked. _Oh no, not today, the cheerleading event is on...Billy better make sure he gets us swapped back before then!_

"Sure," Kimberly finally replied and she could see the look of relief that Billy was giving her. "Maybe we can sit near the trees and catch some of the cheerleading display?"

Beth nodded, but was clearly surprised by the suggestion. "Sure…I didn't think you'd be interested in it...I'll see you then."

The mousy blond stepped up to her tiptoes and planted a quick peck on 'his' cheek, and Kimberly quickly kissed her back.

This day was just getting weirder and weirder…she knew she had to swap back soon or else she'd completely lose her mind, which was the only thing she still had that was hers.

* * *

Bulk didn't even bother to keep a lookout, as he dragged Skull behind him through the slightly ajar laboratory door. Most of the students at school believed the west wing of the main building were locked promptly at the start and end of every period, but to two of the school's most juvenile students, inside knowledge was a beautiful thing. 

Detention was usually held only up the corridor, and every day Bulk and Skull walked past the science classrooms as they headed eagerly for the exit. He knew that morning would be no exception and it would be the perfect time to execute some revenge.

The pudgy bully was still seething from the altercation in the freshman locker hall with the group of five students he fondly called the 'geek brigade'. Kids like them made Bulk want to barf. It wasn't just because they thought they were better than he, or that they got the best grades at school; it was also because when it came to the crunch they only fought back 'nicely'.

God forbid they actually put their fists up and fight like normal people would.

Take Jason, for an example. He was tall, well built and clearly one of the best athletes in their grade, yet he never fought back. That's why Bulk had to snigger when he watched the martial artist practice his black-belt moves at the Youth Center. What was the point of all the practice if you never used it?

But it was Jason's best buddy Zack that really riled Bulk up as of late. His witty little comments and snorting at Bulk really got on his nerves. He felt the same about Kimberly- her persistent giggling annoyed him, as did the way she whined at him and Skull daily.

That's why he couldn't begin to understand what Skull even saw in her.

All in all, he was tired of those geeks always getting the upper hand. He'd put up with it for years now and he was more than tired of it.

No, now it was time to show them a lesson.

"Bulky, what are we doing in here?" Skull whispered to him in an almost frightened tone.

Bulk cocked his head towards one of the side benches and headed for the contraception that he'd come after. He knew it belonged to the king of the nerds, Billy and of course, Kimberly, and the chubby punk also knew it would cause the two much distress when they showed up that morning for class and couldn't find their project.

"We'll see how good a grade they get when they don't have a project!" Bulk enthused as he shoved the compact machine into his backpack.

He turned and grabbed his best friend on the arm and they scurried back for the exit, slipping out of the door in the most casual of ways. The door accidentally slammed on their hasty exit and Bulk turned around and scowled at Skull, who seemed to cower slightly.

"I hear someone coming!" Bulk suddenly stammered, and they both ducked behind a portable table in the hall that was piled with classroom supplies. He moved his head around the corner and raised a curious eyebrow as the people on his mind suddenly entered the hallway.

_Great, the geeks are even going early to class_, he thought to himself with disgust.

He watched as they entered the laboratory and Bulk waited. He couldn't wait to hear their reaction.

And then, as if on cue, he heard it. Kimberly and Billy's raised voices suddenly echoed from the science room and the distress in their tones was evident.

If only Bulk realized just why they were so distressed!

---

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

**_Coming up next in the conclusion "The Gender Bender: Part 2":_**_ Unable to find the machine, how will Billy and Kimberly possibly find a way to switch back to their own bodies? And when Rita decides to intervene and Billy and Kimberly are unable to morph, what will they do? Find out, next… _

_A/N: Just to clear things up with this 'miss-matched' episode, whenever Billy or Kimberly as quoted as talking, it is them (as in their brain), not their body. So, for example, if it said "Hi," Kimberly said, then it meant it was Kim, but in Billy's body. Get it? The only exception to that rule, is in the scene from Jason's point of view near the start- because it was from his point of view, it was expressed in the way he saw it- so if Kimberly said something, it was actually Billy, but in Kim's body…Okay, so I've probably just confused you all even more now…_

_A/N#2: So, this was deliberately a very tame episode, intentionally empty of any real chaos. I wanted to write something that wasn't so deep, because a lot of the following episodes are very big and exciting ones, so that's why this one was the way it was. Plus, I think it's interesting to explore characters from another point of view- Kimberly's assessment on Billy's life is an attempt to show his life in a way Billy would never admit to, etcetera. The conclusion will be a little quicker paced. This episode took so long to update because my partner accidentally deleted this arc from our comp and I had to retype them from scratch. Nothing is ever as good when you try to type it from your memory…So, I didn't feel it was up to my usual standard. Have a great day!_


	13. Ep12: The Gender Bender II

**Rebirth of the Legacy**

**The Gender Bender Part 2- Episode 12**

By Chanelle Summer

_Unable to find Billy's machine that accidentally switched him and Kimberly, how will the mixed-up pair manage to return to their own bodies? And what things will they both learn about each other, the opposite sex and themselves when it's all over? Find out now..._

_

* * *

_

On the moon, Rita's head was slightly pounding as a racket from Finster's lab continued to echo through the darkened hallways of her palace. The noise was unyielding; it was like the sound of a skull against the concrete. Worst of all, Rita knew as it continued that the alien scientist had yet to complete their most necessary piece of equipment.

The space witch was a sorceress, and a good one at that. She had the ability to summon the darkest of spirits from the depths of their tombs and to twist the psyche of even the strongest individuals.

Yet despite her well-known abilities, she had continued to fail in her best-placed efforts to destroy the power rangers. They were children, barely old enough to taste innocent freedom, yet they had been successful in every confrontation. Their metamorphosis into their ranger statuses could be considered slightly impressive, yet what infuriated Rita most, was that on almost every confrontation with the protectors of Earth, they destroyed her plans with their childish ideas or spiritual teamwork.

She had spent many days thinking of her situation over and over again. Over and over and over. It just maddened her more, and as she waited impatiently for Finster to complete his work on what would become their villain-making machine, her distaste against the rangers only intensified.

She was ready to crush them.

Her twisted plans had curled and cooked, yet she held back. Her putties- her mindless puppets- had loyally intercepted the rangers on a pretty much daily basis as they walked home from their school or socialized before dark. The children had clearly learnt that their ability outstripped the brainless warriors, yet Rita continued to hold back.

And in the last twenty-four hours, she had watched with much interest as the blue ranger had somehow transferred bodies with the pink ranger. The situation was causing much chaos in their pitiful lives, yet more interesting to Rita, was the mind behind the mechanism that had been the cause of their misplacement. He was physically weak in every way imaginable, yet despite his tender earthling age, he had advanced intelligence.

That had made Rita slightly nervous. She had, however, quickly dismissed her fleeting moment of self-doubt as she reminded herself of who _she_ was. Some stupid imbecile of a teenager couldn't remotely compete with someone of her stature! The boy in blue may be intelligent, but he lacked everything else that she had.

Just as the others did. They needed five of them to make up one of her. They may have had luck on their side in their previous altercations, but Rita could smell her victory wafting toward her.

"My evil one, I apologize for the interruption…"

Rita shook her head abruptly, Finster's sudden voice only then alerting her to the relief her ears were experiencing at the quietness that had returned to her chamber.

She huffed a little. "Thank evilness that racket has finished!" she exclaimed dramatically. "You better be here to tell me good news!"

Finster bowed a little. "My Queen, I can report the machine will be completed very shortly-."

Rita scowled, her almost snarl cutting his timid words short. "I don't want to hear it! If it isn't finished, then you should still be in there working on it!"

"Of course…I only came to inform you as I assumed that Lord Zedd would be requiring an update on our progress against the rangers." Finster paused. "The Emperor has seemed less than impressed by our failure to secure Earth thus far…"

"Hmph," Rita scoffed. "Tell him I'm sending some of my super warriors and the Black Mantis down to take care of Zordon's brats' today…as soon as you get that machine finished!"

Finster nodded once more. "Indeed, my queen. A fine choice, too. As soon as I have completed the final work on the machine, I shall start work on the creation of the warrior creature."

Rita managed a sour smile at the thought, and for a moment, she forgot just how angry and impatient she was feeling.

* * *

**Tuesday 22nd February, 1994**

Down at Angel Grove high, Billy's mind was racing as he walked timidly up the corridor, towards the female locker room. The echoes of shrill gossiping and girly chatter floated his way, and it took every ounce of courage he had left within to make him push through the door before him.

The scene on the other side of the closed door immediately overwhelmed him. Of course, being in the body of a girl meant that nobody else in the girl's locker room responded to him in the same fashion, but Billy couldn't move his eyes from the floor. All around him, girls were prancing about in their undergarments, yet despite his own boyish curiosity, he knew he had no right to cast his male vision on their exposed bodies.

"Come on, Kim- your locker is this way," Trini whispered in his ear, pulling on his arm.

Billy managed to glance slightly at his friend, and quickly followed her through the crowded room. He was literally losing control of his nerves. All day, his mind had been too busy thinking about where the body-switching machine had gone to, rather than preparing himself for the acrobatic display he knew he had no chance of pulling off.

Steam sat at the peak of the lockers, the heat from the nearby showers slicking Billy's face and making him feel even more ill as he made his way further through the perfumed filled room.

He stopped beside Trini as they reached their locker, and waited for her to give him further instructions. Billy knew he was there to get changed for the cheerleading display, but going on the routine's he had had to endure since being in Kimberly's body, he guessed even that was not as simple as it sounded.

"Here." Trini extended the cheerleading garment to him and smiled gently. "Put this on, and meet me outside."

Billy nodded a little, and then slowly began peeling off his purple skirt, before he moved his fingers to the pearl buttons of his white blouse.

"So, Kimberly- do you think you have that toss down and ready?" Megan Phillips asked, as she walked up beside Billy, her tall body wrapped in a towel.

Billy glanced at the cheerleader, practically cringing inside. His mind flashed back to the countless times the girl had sniggered at him as she flounced past him in the corridor, or the time she had teased Kimberly about him at the mall. Megan had the air of confidence wafting around her as usual, but it was the first time Billy had heard her speak without the spite in her tone.

Megan raised an eyebrow at Billy's silence. "No time to be nervous, we can't stuff it up out there," the girl continued, as she pulled her cheerleading top on.

Billy nodded his head a little, as he finished taking his blouse off. He was suddenly very conscious of the other girls' eyes' on his exposed female body and he tried to cover himself up with his arms.

"I'm ready for the display," he murmured to Megan, as he attempted to tug on the tiny sports skirt as gracefully as possible.

"What's the bet that Daniel Ferguson will be watching today?" Megan continued, as she ran a brush through her wavy hair. "He's been checking me out during practice this past week…"

The girl stopped and glanced at Billy with a fake glimmer of regret in her eyes. "I'm sorry…I forgot you're probably still cut up about Daniel dumping you at the winter ball…"

Billy couldn't help but narrow his gaze at the spiteful comment. He knew that girls could be sly and nasty to each other, but he'd never seen it first hand.

"For your information, that imbecile didn't dump me," Billy muttered, avoiding looking in her direction.

Megan sniggered at the remark and then secured her hair in a high ponytail. She leaned toward Billy, fluttering her eyelashes slightly as she began to whisper, "Just between you and I, I heard someone talking about you and Jason Scott, saying that you two got it on at the back of the Youth Center the other week…"

Billy frowned. He knew that Megan was doing her best to rile him up, but at the same time he was disturbed at the type of gossip that made its way around Angel Grove high.

Billy finished getting his costume on, and then turned to look at Megan. He flashed her the most forced, fake smile he could muster.

"Megan. Just to let you know, guys hate it when a girl does nothing but talk about herself and about everyone else behind their back…Make sure you do your best today, otherwise Daniel will be too busy checking me out," he told her.

Megan glared at him, a breathy scoff escaping her gaping mouth. Billy refrained from saying anything further, and walked away from her, feeling empowered by putting the bitchy cheerleader in her place in a way he'd been wanting for so long.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the bleachers near the sports field outside, Kimberly found herself lost in her own mind. It was the only thing that was still intact, but even it was slowly falling apart. 

She couldn't help thinking that somehow, something very sinister was the reason behind Billy's 'mind reading' machine suddenly disappearing from where they had left it. When she and Billy had told their friends, not even Zack could muster a chuckle at the situation- they all realized the body-switching incident was spiraling out of control.

Billy promised her that he would ask around to see if anyone knew where it was, and if they had no luck, that he would build another one after school that day. Kimberly didn't even want to think about that. She suddenly had so many visions in her mind of being a boy for the rest of her life. It was, quite frankly, freaking her out.

So, now Kimberly found herself still playing the life of Billy Cranston that lunchtime. The day was beautiful, and her eyes were fastened on the clearing up ahead, the spot for the cheerleading display that day. She knew that at that very moment, Billy was busy getting ready for the event in her place, preparing for an experience that Kimberly felt completely robbed of.

_This is just so unfair…_

She sighed, forgetting that Beth was sitting beside her. Billy's girlfriend looked at 'him' with concern and gently brushed 'his' cheek with her hand.

"Are you okay, Billy? You seem anxious about something."

Kimberly looked at Beth and did her best to cover the disappointment in her eyes. "I'm okay. I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was staring into space…"

Beth smiled and took a sip from her juice. "That's okay. So…I was wondering, if maybe you're not busy this weekend, if you would like to come to my house for dinner? My parents will be in LA for a friend's wedding and I do have an art class, but I could sure do with the company…" she lowered her eyes a little, and brushed her hand on Kimberly's. "That's if you're not too busy with an experiment or invention. Do you think your dad will let you?"

Kimberly didn't know how to respond. By the way Beth was staring at her and the shy, youthful seduction in her gentle graze, Kimberly sensed that the blue ranger's girlfriend was making an attempt to further their relationship. Billy wasn't one to speak openly about his relationship and so Kimberly had no idea what level the couple was at and whether he would be open to such an invitation.

Doing her best to appear as attentive as possible, she took the girl's hand in hers and stared in her eyes as she spoke. After all, Kimberly knew that if a boy she really liked looked at her that way, that it would definitely make her day.

"I'd really enjoy that," Kimberly told her. "I'll mention it to my dad, but I'm sure there shouldn't be any problems…if he says no, I'll just tell him I'm going to stay over at Jason's."

Beth's eyes' lit up quickly, before they mellowed to a dreamier stare. She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Kimberly's lips, a slight moan sounding before she pulled away.

_Whoa, that was weird… _

Kimberly laughed a little, secretly from her own embarrassment at kissing a girl. She hoped that Beth didn't see the awkwardness she was trying so nobly to conceal.

"That was nice," Kimberly finally managed to whisper.

Beth nodded. "You know Billy, you've really surprised me today…I didn't think that you would say yes to my offer and I'm just so glad that you have the same feelings that I do…"

Kimberly slightly rocked back, knowing the words the girl was about to speak, yet dreading them more than anything. They were an expression she never should have been the one to receive; a personal reflection of the heart that only Billy deserved to hear.

"I-I love you Billy," Beth finally breathed out, as she rested her hazel eyes on 'him' expectedly.

_Oh God. What am I going to say? Do I say what I would want to hear or what I think Billy would say? I don't even know what he really feels about Beth…they must be close; I mean Beth seems really in to him… _

"Billy?"

Kimberly smiled ever so tightly. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking…how pretty you are."

She cleared her throat in an effort to drown her guilt at the comment. Kimberly did think Billy's girlfriend was pretty, but at the same time she knew she'd only offered the remark at that moment to stall their conversation. Thought's started spiraling in her mind, as she wondered whether boys only said those kinds of things to keep their girlfriends happy.

Did boys ever mean the things that they said?

Trying her hardest to tear her gaze to Beth, Kimberly cleared her throat once more as the blond smiled back at her with clear anticipation.

"I…love you…Beth."

The words came out a little strangled, but Kimberly kept herself together as she leaned forward and embraced the girl. She figured that staying in the hug for a minute or so would allow her time to recover and regain her composure.

As she slowly pulled back, a high-pitched six beeped tone rang from her communicator and Kimberly instantly shoveled her hand under her leg. Beth looked at her with clear curiosity.

"What was that?"

"Uh…um…Oh!" Kimberly knew she had a matter of seconds to deliver an excuse. "It's my pager, an invention I made not long ago…you see, there's something I wanted to get for you and I set my alarm to remind me so that I wouldn't forget…"

"Really? Oh Billy, that's so sweet!"

Kimberly scrambled to her feet. "I'll be back!" she stammered, before she flung herself around and headed towards the slowly building crowd ahead.

She pushed through students, sighing in relief as she spotted her male friends ahead.

"Guys!" she hissed at them, but the look Jason gave her confirmed that they too had been signaled.

Jason leaned towards her and whispered in her ear. "Trini and Billy are trying to come up with an excuse to leave the display…let's go somewhere quiet and teleport to the Command Center."

The back of the gymnasium proved to be the best spot to teleport from, and as Kimberly arrived, she anxiously waited for Trini and Billy to appear at the Command Center. She recognized the threat had to be important, knowing that Zordon wouldn't call them during school unless it was an emergency.

"RANGERS, ALPHA IS BRINGING THE SITUATION UP ON THE VIEWING GLOBE NOW," their master informed them, as the five rangers arrived and turned to face the sphere screen.

Kimberly's eyes' narrowed as footage of putties flashed across the screen. The clay warriors appeared to be causing havoc in the business district of the city, yet despite the images of civilians fleeing in terror, there was nothing really remarkable about the scene.

"I don't understand, Zordon; it's just putties…shouldn't we just teleport there and take care of them?" Zack asked a little confused, as the five rangers glanced at each other.

"WHILE THEY MAY HAVE THE APPEARANCE OF ORDINARY PUTTIES, DO NOT LET THEIR APPEARANCE FOOL YOU. THEY ARE KNOWN AS 'SUPER PUTTIES', A BREED OF MINDLESS WARRIORS MADE FROM A FOUNDATION NOT FOUND HERE ON EARTH. THEY HAVE HEIGHTENED STRENGTH AND AGILITY, AND IT WILL TAKE YOUR BEST PLACED EFFORTS AND TEAMWORK TO DISPOSE OF THEM."

Jason glanced up at Zordon. "Zordon, I don't know if you know, but something happened to Kimberly and Billy yesterday…they've…swapped bodies…" the red ranger reported.

Zordon nodded. "I'M AWARE OF THE SITUATION, AND IT IS THE OTHER REASON WHY I ASKED YOU ALL TO REPORT HERE. BECAUSE OF THE SWITCH, NEITHER KIMBERLY NOR BILLY WILL BE ABLE TO MORPH. THIS DISPLACEMENT MUST BE REVERSED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF RITA DISCOVERS THIS PREDICAMENT, SHE WILL SURLY SEND A MONSTER DOWN WHILE OUR TEAM IS IN A WEAKENED STATE."

The five rangers seemed to sigh in unison, Kimberly watching expectedly as Alpha 5 approached her. "Billy, I have located the machine which will allow us to return you both to your bodies," the robot reported, forgetting which teen was which.

Kimberly pointed to her 'real' body. "That's Billy, Alpha," she reminded him.

"Who has the machine?" Jason asked anxiously.

Alpha 5 extended another hand to the viewing globe and Kimberly groaned dramatically. "I knew it!" she exclaimed, slapping a hand against her side. "Those goons do everything possible to get in the way of everything!"

Jason glanced at his friends sternly. "Okay, Zack, Trini and I will go and take care of these putties…Billy and Kim, you need to go and get the machine from Bulk and Skull right away..."

* * *

Billy's eyes' rested on the two figures in black in the far corner. Their leather-clad backs were turned to both he and Kimberly, and neither punk seemed to notice their sudden arrival. 

Clearly perturbed after twenty-four hours of pure chaos, Kimberly almost immediately stormed toward them. She reached her hand out and touched Bulk on the back, and the chubby teen turned around, his eyes widening in reminiscent fear.

"H-hi," he stammered.

Billy stepped beside Kimberly and watched as Skull also turned around, however the lanky teen appeared to have a firmer look of confrontation in his eyes than usual.

"You!" Skull almost fumed, jabbing Kimberly with a forceful index finger. "You dweebs are gonna fix this mess up right now!"

He jabbed Kimberly again and she quickly grabbed his hand and pushed him away. "What is wrong with you two?" she asked with a look of disgust on her face.

"This is what's wrong!" Skull harped, as he quickly pulled a familiar metal object from his backpack. Bulk continued to noisily chew the gum in his mouth as he cast his fearful eyes between his friend and the two unmorphed rangers.

"My machine!" Billy thoughtlessly gasped out, as he quickly reached forward to take hold of it.

Skull continued with his firm grip on the machine until Kimberly added her strength to Billy's and they swiftly pulled the swapping device from the bully's grasp.

"I can't believe you guys stole our project," Kimberly accused, as Billy inspected the machine. "We worked so hard on it…do you even realize how much trouble you two could get into if Mrs. Garvin finds out?"

"Well, what about what you two did?" Skull countered. "That machine…that, evil machine has done something to us…you freaks have tried to build some sort of-."

"You used my machine?" Billy spoke up in horror, disbelieving the two goons would be so stupid.

"What do you care anyway, Kimberly?" Skull questioned Billy. The blue ranger could clearly see by the skinny teen's officious voice that he and Bulk had definitely swapped personalities.

Kimberly sighed and grabbed Billy's hand, turning and walking toward the exit without saying a further word.

"Hey! Don't just leave! You geeks can't just leave us like this!"

Billy stopped and turned around as they reached the door. "Listen, I promise I will help you guys, but first I have to modify the generators before I can do that…why don't you spend some time thinking about how you shouldn't go around stealing other people's property and we'll switch you back when I'm finished."

The two rangers ran out the room and waited until they reached the end of the deserted corridor before they teleported out. As soon as their feet touched the black flooring of the Command Center, Billy immediately placed the machine on one of the benches and inspected it closely.

"Thank goodness we found it," Kimberly murmured from behind him.

Alpha 5 approached them and lowered his circular head towards the metal gadget. "How is it going, Billy?" the robot asked.

Billy stepped back and turned to ensure he was looking at Kimberly as he explained his sudden realization. "I've discovered the fault," he reported. "It was never a problem with the generators or the central processor…it appears that somehow, I installed the wiring the wrong way around."

"So you can fix it?" Kimberly burst out as she stepped toward him.

Mindful of his cheerleading attire, he quickly adjusted the hem of skirt and nodded. "If I swap the wiring, then logically it should allow our personality disarticulation to be reversed," he confirmed.

It took him ten minutes of deep concentration, but Billy found himself successfully exchanging the wiring around. During the process, their other teammates had returned from their victorious encounter with Rita's Super Putties, but Billy tried to block out their persistent questions and desires for updates. He had to focus.

He didn't have any option but to get it right.

"Alright," he announced some minutes later. He turned around and motioned to Kimberly with his hand, glancing at his own body before him for what he hoped would be the last time.

"It's time to do the switch."

Zack clapped his hands together excitedly. "Good luck, you two," he told them both.

"Aie yi yi yi yi, please be careful," Alpha 5 murmured with a tinge of dread from nearby.

Billy quickly placed the transmitting pads to Kimberly's forehead and swiftly did the same to himself, before he grabbed her hands. He took a deep breath before he pulled the switch and felt the electricity rush to his skull at an unanticipated level. The sensation lasted for a mere collection of seconds before he heard a thud and his eyes snapped open.

The machine literally burst into smoke.

He heard Kimberly holler and even he let out an unexpected yelp. He glimpsed Zack pulling Kimberly quickly away from the sudden danger and Billy ripped the leading off his own skull before Alpha 5 promptly blasted the gadget with a burst of the fire extinguisher.

"Are you alright?" Trini's stricken voice was the first to speak up.

Billy found himself unable to speak, his eyes closed as he tried to regain his inner balance. He heard Jason repeat the yellow ranger's question of concern and slowly opened his eyes. The blue ranger was about to report that the switch was clearly unsuccessful, when he suddenly realized that 'Kimberly' was standing before him.

He shot his gaze to his own body, and realized he was wearing his boyish clothes. He was back in his own body!

"It appears that somehow, the central processor overheated and caused the transmitters to short-circuit," he explained in a daze.

"Billy!" Trini let out in excitement. "You're back!"

Kimberly finally stepped forward and glanced around, before Zack stared at Billy with a sudden flare in his eyes.

"Yeah, that's all great, except for the fact that I am now in Zack's body!" Zack exclaimed, as he appeared to try and tuck a non-existent strand of hair behind his ear.

"Whoa, wait a minute," Jason interjected, stepping towards his best friend. "What did you just say Zack?"

"I am not Zack," the black ranger stated, raising a half-hearted hand to point towards a quiet Kimberly. "That is Zack…I am Kimberly."

"Whoa…" 'Kimberly' finally murmured. "What just happened?"

Billy stared at the unmorphed black and pink rangers, his mind suddenly racing as he quickly realized what must have taken place. Somehow, his brain had found his own body, but as Zack tried to rescue Kimberly, he and the pink ranger must have somehow experienced a swap of personalities themselves.

No science could explain it…Billy didn't even have a clue how such an event had taken place.

"Billy-man, please tell me you know how to fix this." Billy glanced toward 'Kimberly' and the theory was instantly confirmed in 'her' comment. After all, 'Billy-man' had always been a nickname Zack had called the blue ranger.

"I can't believe this happened again, Billy…"

* * *

Kimberly stared at Billy and waited. 

The lines were written across his usually smooth skin, and his hand was rested against the crest of his forehead, as though it would offer him some kind of cerebral assistance. He knew that everything had just taken a diving crash and that this time around, the switch between his two friends could be permanent.

Kimberly sighed and glanced down at her new body. The black jeans she was now wearing were worn low, while her boyish torso was draped in an ocher and violet vest. She found herself playing with her hands, taking in the dark texture.

She was Zack, all right.

Suddenly the alarm bell shot up, its ear piercing whine whooping through the Command Center like a death march. Kimberly groaned and turned to face the viewing globe, her mind desperately praying that it wasn't something they couldn't deal with at that moment.

"RANGERS, RITA HAS RELEASED A MONSTER ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF ANGEL GROVE CITY. IT'S CLEAR FROM THE CREATURE'S FORM, THAT SHE HAS GAINED MORE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT ON HER MOON BASE."

The footage on the round screen appeared to zoom up on the creature. From what Kimberly could tell, the creature looked like a praying mantis type bug, its black textured chassis tipped with sharp claws and dark, piercing eyes.

"Eew, a bug?" Kimberly let out, screwing her face up.

"YES, IT IS A BUG. KNOWN AS THE BLACK MANTIS, IT IS AN AGILE WARRIOR. IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT INTO EXISTENCE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS DURING THE PAST AND ON EVERY ALTERCATION, IT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT ELIMINATING ITS OPPONENTS. YOU MUST TAKE CARE, RANGERS; IF YOU UTILIZE YOUR WEAPONRY TO IT'S POTENTIAL, I HAVE FAITH THAT YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL."

"What are we going to do?" Kimberly watched 'Zack' suddenly speak up.

Trini shook her head a little bleakly. "We need everyone there. The three of us could hold back putties, but we can't beat this creature unless we're all there…"

Jason unfolded his arms from across his chest and stepped beside the machine that had caused them so much stress over the past twenty-four hours. "Billy, is there any way possible that you can perform a miracle on this?" their leader asked.

Billy seemed to be too engrossed in cleaning the mechanism, but slowly looked up at the red ranger.

"I wouldn't know where to begin…I thoroughly examined the generators before we reattempted the switch and I couldn't locate any fault with them. However, by the way in which they overheated and practically detonated, I can only assume that the generator is indeed faulty."

Kimberly stepped up to Billy and placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Billy, you need to try and fix this thing. I know you can do it, I mean, the way you built it…you are the smartest person I have ever known and I know that you can't give up on an experiment."

She smiled gently at him and he sighed slightly resignedly as his azure gaze fell on the machine before him.

"Come on Billy; we need you now," Trini's gentle, but encouraging voice floated from behind Kimberly.

Billy nodded. "Alright…I'll see what I can do…"

"YOU MUST HURRY, BILLY," Zordon's voice was spoken with urgency. "JASON AND TRINI, YOU MUST GO AND INTERCEPT THE CREATURE BEFORE IT REACHES THE CITY. THE OTHERS WILL JOIN YOU AS SOON AS THEY HAVE SUCCESSFULLY SWITCHED BACK."

Billy sighed loudly and Kimberly rubbed the top of his back sympathetically.

"Good luck, guys," Zack offered as Trini and Jason morphed and disappeared in a wash of yellow and red.

Kimberly watched closely as Billy began to remove screws and panels, his eyes focused and unwavering. She offered her assistance, but he gently declined with a shake of the head and continued in what Kimberly prayed would lead to a workable machine.

_I hope this works…if I get stuck in Zack's body for the rest of my life, I think I'm going to die…I don't want to be a boy! _

The thoughts were causing her to pace and she stopped as soon as she realized, turning to watch Billy once again. Her eyes ran over the scattered pieces of metal and gadgetry, when suddenly she spotted something most out of place.

"Wait…what's that?" she murmured, as she hurried quickly across the dark floor and to Billy's side.

The blue ranger watched her carefully as she crouched down slightly and picked up one of the pieces cautiously. "What is it?" he asked her quietly.

"Oh my gosh, is that what I think it is?" she asked in disbelief, turning the piece over to show her friend in blue.

Billy's eyes' widened behind his glasses. His mouth slightly opened, before his lips pursed again. "That appears to be a ball of cinnamon gum lodged in the air vent to the generator," he reported in disbelief.

"Say what?" Zack asked, as he joined them from the other side of the room.

Kimberly scowled. "I can't believe those goons would stick gum there!" she seethed with disgust.

Billy's face was twisted into annoyance himself, as he used one of the screwdrivers to carefully dislodge the misplaced piece of candy. Kimberly's heart began beating uncontrollably as he fluently screwed the machine back together and turned to his two friends with a strange look on his face.

"Let's attempt the switch," Billy announced.

Kimberly questioned him with her eyes, but held back on doubting him verbally. She had to trust him, knowing that the situation couldn't possibly get any worse.

_I suppose, unless I somehow switch with Alpha or Zordon, _she murmured inwardly.

As she stared across at Zack and experienced holding her own hands in her new ones, she decided she would keep her eyes open this time around. Billy glanced toward her as though his gaze was expressing a bleak, final goodbye and he seemed to pray under his breath before he suddenly pulled down the switch. The electrical-like current slammed against Kimberly's skull, and it gripped her unrelentingly before it abruptly cut out.

She stumbled forward a little, grabbing thoughtlessly onto Zack as she opened her eyes and attempted to regain her balance. Her mind was buzzing, her ears ringing, but as she glanced so unhopefully to her friend before her, she received the shock of her life.

"Ahhh!" she shrieked, jumping into Zack's arms.

The black ranger laughed and spun her around once, before Kimberly stepped back and ran her milky hands over her long locks.

"It worked!" she gasped, feeling the lines of her body with her excited palms.

Billy was the only one remaining silent, even as Zack leaned over and patted him gratefully on the shoulder.

"RANGERS, YOU MUST MORPH AND TELEPORT TO JOIN THE OTHERS RIGHT AWAY…JASON AND TRINI NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE," Zordon cut the moment off.

Kimberly nodded, as she excitedly grabbed her morpher from the inside of her skirt band. "Can I say it?" she asked with a grin.

"Go for it, girl!" Zack enthused.

"It's Morphin time!" Kimberly announced, longing on her third metamorphosis in a single day.

* * *

The fight against Rita's newest creature had remained a ground battle for only a matter of twenty minutes, before the creature had grown into a colossal size. Following Jason's lead, they had each called their zords and launched into a lengthy forty-minute battle. Kimberly had a few moments where she wondered if they were powerful enough to stop the creature, but a final blast with their cannons had finally sent the Black Mantis crashing to the ground in a shower of sparks. 

After returning briefly to the Command Center after their victory to reflect as usual, the rangers had all gone their separate ways so as to not raise any wariness. Kimberly was grateful that once news of the battle had spread, the school day had been cut short, in turn meaning that her and her teammates would escape any penalty or suspicion for missing their afternoon classes.

After quickly heading to the mall for something important, she'd swiftly caught a bus to the Youth Center. As she walked through the entrance, she was almost unable to stop herself from looking at anything that offered a reflection. Now that the battle had passed her, her mind had returned to her body switch with Billy and her avid relief at being back in her own body.

She would never take her life or her body for granted- as much as she may have learnt a thing or two in Billy's body; she had to admit that she was a pure girl through and through.

"Hi _Kimberly_," Zack greeted her with a grin, as she practically skipped into the unusually quiet juice bar towards the table where her friends were seated.

Kimberly spun around on the spot and then plopped down on the seat beside Billy, unable to conceal her own toothy grin.

"You guys, I have never been so glad to be in my own body," she whispered excitedly. "That was such a close one today…"

"Yeah, Billy-man, I may have to fire you as my main-brain for what you did to me today," Zack joked, patting him on the shoulder.

Billy appeared to be a little uncomfortable and Kimberly quickly reached out and touched his shoulder. "Billy, it's okay…we are only joking…" she tried to reassure him.

He sighed a little and slightly looked her way. "Kimberly…could I talk to you…in private?"

Kimberly blinked, a little taken aback, but quickly nodded her head. They both headed toward the exit and walked side-by-side, the silence remaining between them until they reached the front of the complex.

"Is everything okay?" she finally asked.

He continued to walk and she gently put a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to stop and face her. She could see he was unusually distressed, his eyes moving about and unable to find any rest.

"Billy…what is it?"

He sighed. "Do you feel…all right?" he asked her.

She frowned, and quickly looked over herself as though she was missing something. "What do you mean? I feel fine…"

"What I meant to ask, is do you feel like yourself?"

Kimberly stared at him. She was beginning to wonder if somehow Billy had suffered some kind of mental breakdown after everything that happened. She gathered that he must have been feeling some sense of doubt after their return to their own bodies, because she certainly couldn't understand why he was suddenly questioning her in such a way.

"Billy…we switched back- we're ourselves…perhaps you're just experiencing some kind of after effect due to the displacement-."

Kimberly stopped and quickly brought her hands to her mouth as though she had cursed and eyed Billy with wide eyes. The words- the science jargon- had seemed to come out of her mouth without little thought.

"I think something happened, Kimberly…we have switched our bodies back, but somehow we seem to have retained some of each other's personality in the process," he told her.

She slowly lowered her hand. "What are you saying? That somehow, we've kept a part of each other's brains'? So, somehow I have some of your intelligence and you have some of my…whatever…"

Billy nodded. "That's exactly what I'm saying…"

"I don't understand, Billy. I thought we only switched bodies?"

Billy shrugged. "To be honest, I have absolutely no idea how it happened…for all we know, it could be permanent."

Kimberly blinked and looked at the ground, disbelieving what she was hearing.

"For the time being, I think this is something we must keep between you and I. I'll of course do what I can to investigate any solutions," Billy continued, "but all it may mean is we'll contain to hold some of each other's abilities' and the like."

Kimberly suddenly smiled a bit and looked up in time to watch Billy step back. "Hey, I suppose if this really has happened, then it's not so bad…I mean, I could use some extra brain cells and you could use some fashion knowledge…"

Billy nodded a little, but still seemed to be very uncomfortable. She stepped forward and leaned toward him, wanting him to see the honesty in her eyes as she told him how she truly felt.

"Billy, I know these past two days have been so completely strange and I know that the reason your feeling so down isn't just because of the swap…but I want you to know that you have nothing to be ashamed of…"

"Hey guys," Beth's gentle voice cut through the moment, and they both turned their heads to watch her walk toward them.

Kimberly quickly released Billy's arm and stepped back, suddenly feeling a little ashamed about how the scene must have looked to Billy's girlfriend.

"Uh, I'm gonna go inside and hang with guys…I'll catch you later, Billy," Kimberly said to him quickly as she walked away before he could respond.

* * *

"I'm sorry…did I interrupt something?" Beth asked him with genuine concern, as the brunette paced hurriedly away from them. 

Billy glanced towards the double entrance to the Youth Center and could see the doors still slightly swinging from where Kimberly had strutted through them. He hoped she was okay.

"Uh, no…it's okay. We were just discussing our science project," Billy finally explained to his girlfriend. Even though it was an obvious neglect of the real facts, it was partially true and that made Billy feel a little better about the explanation. He didn't like having to lie.

"So…I went looking for you at your house, I didn't know where you went to…I guess I had such a nice time with you at lunch, that I couldn't wait to see you again," she told him.

Billy cleared his throat. "I also had a great time at lunch," he told her. He quickly made a mental note to ask Kimberly what exactly took place that day that he missed out on.

She took his hand, and moved it about aimlessly. "You know, now that we've taken such a big step today, I know that this weekend will be perfect…"

Billy tried not to frown, as Beth continued her deep revelations. "I like everything about you, Billy- how smart you are, how nice you are…how…cute, you are…" She smiled dreamingly. "Everything about you is perfect. When we were talking at lunch and you told me those things, I just realized how much I love being with you…and I can't believe that you actually love me-."

"Huh?" Billy accidentally stammered, as he swiftly rocked back on his feet.

Beth's smile faltered slightly. "You meant what you said, didn't you? About loving me…"

Billy nervously adjusted his glasses and as he tried to think of a suitable reply. He never would have imagined in a million years that Kimberly would have told Beth that he loved her…they were only fifteen- how could they even know what that word meant?

Beth released his hand and he quickly stepped toward her. "Beth, I-."

"What happened? I don't understand. Why are you acting so strange now?" The hurt flashed in her hazel eyes; the transformation so sudden, it rendered him momentarily speechless.

"It's complicated," Billy finally murmured quietly.

She lowered her eyes, and he quickly reached for her face, lifting her chin gently with his hand. Beth had been his first true girlfriend, and one of the only people his age to ever speak highly of him as a person. Over the months that they had been casually dating, she had been patient with him and never questioned his life or the things he enjoyed to do.

They were only fifteen; that much was true, but he had grown as close to her in such a small space of time as anyone else. Unlike the rules of science, there were no guidelines to relationships that Billy knew about. Was he being fair to Beth if he suddenly withdrew Kimberly's comment on his behalf that day? And somehow, did Kimberly know that telling Beth he loved her was the right thing to do?

"Billy!"

Billy quickly withdrew from his deep thoughts and swung his head in the direction of the distant voice. He watched as Kimberly jogged towards the couple, her extended hand wrapped around an item of some sort.

"You forgot this," Kimberly said a little puffed, as she handed him the item in her hand. "Remember? This is what you were going to give Beth…"

Billy glanced at the small, wrapped item and tried to conceal his confusion. It was becoming increasingly clear that he had missed out a huge chunk of milestones that day.

Kimberly turned and left just as quickly as she had approached them. Billy watched her for a moment, before he turned back to Beth.

"What is that?" the girl asked quietly, the hurt seemingly draining from her copper gaze.

Billy shrugged a little and passed it to her. "It's for you," he told her.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, as she began to unwrap it. "Is this the surprise you were going to get me when your alarm went off at lunch?"

Billy nodded. "Yes, indeed." He was becoming more grateful to Kimberly as each moment passed them by.

The small gift became exposed and Beth released a small, high-pitched breath as she cast her eyes upon it.

"Aw, Billy! You shouldn't have…I love them!"

She wrapped her arms around him and he held her tightly, resting his head on her sweetly perfumed hair. As she pulled back, he tried to catch a glimpse of the gift, wondering what on earth he had supposedly gotten her.

"I didn't realize you knew that I needed new paint brushes for my art class…Thank you so much, these are just fantastic!"

Billy smiled, unable to hold back the blush at his cheeks. He suddenly realized he owed Kimberly more than he could ever repay her.

* * *

Billy ended up walking Beth home after their talk in front of the Youth Center that afternoon. He liked being near her, but he also wanted to make sure that wherever she went, she was safe. The blue ranger found such feelings slightly atypical, being that weeks earlier he never would have believed in his ability enough to fend off even a barking dog in the street. 

Besides, he needed the distraction before he arrived home to what he assumed would be an empty house. He was having a difficult time adjusting to suddenly feeling more confident in his ability to use his body in combat, than he did in his ability to use his mind in the name of science. Sure, it hadn't been the first time that an experiment of his had gone haywire. In fact, there had been numerous times through his childish curiosity as a young scientist that he had overstepped the outlines of realism and bungled an invention of some kind.

But, the body-swapping incident had been the first time Billy himself had dragged his closest friends into a position of awkwardness. He had put them at risk, not to mention the entire world's safety in jeopardy had he not found a way to fix the machine. Billy had always liked to believe that science was something he could always rely on, but in the passing forty-eight hours he'd learnt some harsh home truths.

Would he be able to believe in his own ability ever again? He hoped that he'd be able to forget the incident and the moment of self-doubt would pass, but it was so difficult. His body was his, yet he didn't feel himself. 'She' still lingered within him.

He suddenly found the jargon that use to slip off his tongue so easily, become lodged and tangled in his throat. The words were still there, yet it was hard for him to grasp them. Billy hadn't considered that he and Kimberly had somehow downloaded part of each other's brains', until they had gone into battle. The power of the Triceratops had still torn through Billy's muscles, yet something had changed.

During the battle, he had done his first cartwheel. Followed by a walkover. And pretty soon, he had found himself mimicking the movements of the pink ranger before he had even realized what had taken place.

So, despite the body-switching incident becoming simply a bizarre episode to file with all the proceeding strange occasions that year, Billy knew he'd never be able to forget what he caused between them that day.

He had thought over his theories on his way from Beth's quaint home to his empty one, and continued his internal deliberations as he sauntered into his bedroom. The presence of so much blue around him, made him feel slightly empty, as opposed to delivering its usual sense of calm. The fairy-floss princess world that had devoured him at Kimberly's had tested him, yet he found himself yearning for it now in the silence of his own cobalt refuge.

"Billy, stop deliberating over it," he murmured to himself, as he absentmindedly picked the science novel off his nightstand.

Yes, a return to science was just what he needed.

He flicked the hard cover open, a frown quickly fluttering over his face as a folded piece of paper floated from the book's security to his lap. Billy picked the paper up and unfolded it, glancing at the familiar handwriting with much surprise:

_Dear Billy, _

_Well, you're probably wondering why I'm writing a letter to you. I guess I'm kind of bored. I mean, I didn't want to go through all your cupboards to find something to do tonight, cos I think I would kill myself if I broke anything. I feel so strange right now. I know I've only been in your body for like 6 hours, but it's really made me realize how different your life is to mine. Like, you have all these books and stuff here that I can't begin to read. I tried, but they just confused me. I'm sorry about the computer thing this afternoon. I guess I really need some lessons, huh? I think you should give me some lessons once this is all over. Anyway, your dad has been cool tonight. He seems really busy with his lectures and work. I guess you're used to not having many people around you. It's so quiet here, I mean I always have people around me or calling me on the phone. I usually play my guitar, go outside or talk to Jason. I guess you spend a lot of your time working on your inventions. _

_I suppose I'm boring you now. I don't even know if I'll give this letter to you. I just want you to know that I'm not mad at you about what happened. I know that tomorrow, everything will work out perfect and everything will be okay. _

Billy sighed a little as the final words leapt up towards him. The breath from his lips wasn't an expression of sadness, but more from a combination of gratefulness and discomfiture. He knew that Kimberly could never be malicious, but he sensed something from her writing that was more than just her words.

He then remembered the pink ranger's final words' to him that afternoon at the front of the Youth Center:

"…_but I want you to know that you have nothing to be ashamed of…" _she had told him.

It was as though his secret was finally out.

Someone else knew that his life was nothing more than his own thoughts, the wonders of science and the blue walls around him. He didn't want everyone else to know just how empty his life was, because he knew that nobody would ever understand. Kimberly had tried to tell him that he shouldn't be ashamed of his simple life, but Billy knew that even then, the pink ranger didn't really understand it either.

_But, it's not all lonely…_Billy suddenly thought to himself, _I have Beth, now. And my friends. Even though I may not have everything that they do, I have people that care about me…not to mention, I've been given the gift to protect the world… _

Billy folded the letter and put it back into the book, deciding he would try and call Kimberly at her home. He wanted to talk to her, to know that she was still okay. He had a lot to thank her for. Most especially, he wanted to thank her for making him realize that he had a lot in the world to be grateful for.

As he headed for his bedroom exit, the door suddenly opened. Billy rocked back slightly.

"D-Dad," he managed to get out. "What has you home so early?" As always, he hadn't been expecting his father home till late.

Gerald Cranston smiled at his son. "Sorry, William. I didn't intend to startle you. Because of the attacks this afternoon near the city, the university called this evening's lectures off. I'm sorry I didn't make it home sooner- I'm so relieved you are okay."

Billy felt his father's arms' wrap protectively around his shoulders and he returned the embrace quickly.

"So," his father announced boldly, as he pulled back and lightly clasped his hand on Billy's shoulder. "How about you and I go out for dinner tonight? I'm keen to hear about how your science project is going with Kimberly…"

Billy lowered his eyes a little and then nodded his head. "Sure dad, that would be great," he agreed, smiling at the opportunity to spend a night with his father that he had been longing for.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Scott Residence, Kimberly was busy savoring her usual evening routine, singing under her breath as she obsessively ran a brush through her hair. It had been a habit of hers for years to brush her hair before bed, however tonight, she spent even longer on the task, letting her mind trickle over the events from the proceeding twenty-four hours. 

It was times like these that she wished she could blurt out to the world what she was feeling. She felt more than a little silly having to sit around dinner with Jason's parents and talk about her cheerleading, gymnastics or what happened at school that day. All the things that use to mean so much to her, suddenly seemed minuscule in comparison to what mattered now days.

For the first time in her life, she suddenly found herself consumed with thoughts of the world, of life…of things that probably shouldn't be of such importance to a girl her age. She didn't think that a mere few weeks as a superhero could change her in such a drastic way, however she could definitely sense an internal change in what mattered to her. Despite missing the cheerleading event that day- an event so important to her – she had hardly pondered her regret that evening.

Cheerleading, being popular…boys…none of those things meant quite as much as they did a month earlier.

She was contemplating such thoughts as her bedroom door opened without warning and Jason sauntered in. Kimberly released her hair and swerved around on her stool, watching as he non-caringly flopped onto the end of her bed.

"I just tried to call Billy…no one answered," he announced.

Kimberly stood up and sat at the head of the bed, hugging one of the pillows to her chest as she spoke. "He might be busy…or maybe he's at Beth's," she explained. "He had a…strange afternoon…"

He narrowed his eyes a little, his perception into her avoidance of certain facts creeping along his face. "Is everything okay? Beth didn't dump him or something?"

Now it was Kimberly's turn to screw her face up. "What? No, of course not. She happens to really be in to Billy…Trust me, I know that for a fact."

Jason sniggered a little, as his hands unconsciously played with the tassels on the edge of her blanket. "As if she didn't pick up on the fact that Billy wasn't Billy today…you and Billy aren't anything alike."

"Well, maybe I just added to Billy a little. The way Beth spoke to me today, I was shocked at some of the things she said. Billy never really talks about that stuff with us, you know?" She paused. "She loves Billy."

Jason frowned a little. "How do you know that?"

"She told me…I mean, she told Billy." Kimberly stretched her legs out. "I told her that Billy loves her too."

"What?" The word washed out of Jason's mouth with unexpected force. "Why would you say that? They've only been together for a few months, that's kind of a bit of rush, Kim. It's not like they're going to get married or anything."

"And who says they aren't? Anyway, they've been dating for five months…they both like each other, so what's the big deal? I love all of you guys, and when I tell you all that, you don't seem to think that's a big deal."

Jason lifted his head off the blanket and dropped it in his hand. "That's completely different."

"So, when you're with a girl, you won't tell her you love her? Or you'll only tell her after you're married?"

"Of course not…but we're only fifteen. All of that stuff is the last thing I care about right now."

Kimberly shrugged a little and avoided his gaze. "Jason, girls like their boyfriends to be serious about them. Maybe you and I should switch for a day and you'll see that for yourself."

Jason shook his head. "No, thanks. The last twenty-four hours were bad enough. Do you know how much crap I had to go through this morning, just to try and get Billy looking sensible enough to leave the house?"

Kimberly giggled. She could reflect on the chaotic day and laugh about it, now that it was a distant memory.

"Can I ask you something?" Jason asked seriously. "Did you really close your eyes in the shower when you were in Billy's body?"

Kimberly blinked a little, feeling the heat pool to her cheeks. She tried to wane off the guilty flush in her face by running a hand over her hair. "Of course! Like as if I would have peeked on Billy…that would have been totally wrong. We promised each other that we wouldn't do anything weird while we were switched…"

Jason nodded his head a little hesitantly, his hands returning to the tassels. She eyed him suspiciously. "Why? Did something happen here that I don't know about?"

His brown eyes met hers and he shook his head with defiance. "No…asides from the bra thing this morning, like we told you. I was just wondering, that's all."

A soft knock on the door lifted them out of their conversation, and Kimberly eyed the door expectedly as it slowly pushed open.

"Hi guys," Kath greeted.

Kimberly expected her to say more, and when she didn't, she eyed Jason a little dubiously.

"Uh, what's up?" Jason finally asked his mother.

The older lady shook her head a little, the bags under her tired eyes portraying the exhaustion she was clearly feeling. "I was just checking on you both, just to make sure you're okay…I can't help but feel slightly uneasy at times, what, with everything that's been going on."

Kimberly smiled a little gently, finding herself in the unusual position of being the comforter to Kathleen Scott. "It's okay…we're not going anywhere."

The woman yawned and nodded her head, as though she wasn't really listening, but soothed regardless. "Good night, then…I know it's early, but I have some early appointments in the morning…"

They both said goodnight, listening as Kath's gentle footsteps gently made their way in the opposite direction of her room.

"Hey, you wanna do something?" Jason asked her, as the house fell silent.

Kimberly nodded. "Sure…wanna watch a movie?"

Jason smiled a little mischievously and Kimberly tossed one of her scatter pillows towards him. "And I don't mean, let's watch one of yours, either!" she told him playfully.

He lifted his arms above his head as if to surrender, but quickly withdrew them as thought something had just popped into his mind. "Did you and Billy swap Bulk and Skull back to normal?" he suddenly asked her.

Kimberly's mouth instantly dropped open. "Oh my gosh…we totally forgot!" she gasped, sitting up quickly as though an electric bolt had shivered through every limb.

Her eyes rested on the pattern on her blanket. She was feeling strangely unwell that she and Billy had been so careless, when suddenly a six-toned beep pierced through her guilty conscious.

"What the…" Jason murmured as he looked at Kimberly and then to the communicator around his wrist. "Yeah, Zordon, we read you."

"JASON AND KIMBERLY; RITA HAS RELEASED PUTTIES IN THE CENTER OF ANGEL GROVE CITY. YOU MUST MORPH AND TELEPORT THERE NOW TO TAKE CARE OF THEM."

"We'll be right there," Jason promised him.

Kimberly moaned a little and slid her reluctant legs to a standing position. "I suppose Rita believes by sending putties to intercept us at such recurrent intervals, that we will begin to enervate," she murmured.

Jason stopped before her and narrowed his gaze a little. "What did you just say?"

Kimberly frowned a little herself, and then quickly realized that Billy's speech had crawled through her lips so unexpectedly. Both she and Billy had agreed to keep the bit about their slight brain exchange to themselves for the moment, and Kimberly knew that even if she wanted to tell Jason, she had no idea how to explain it.

"Uh…well, all I meant was that Rita is trying to make us tired or something by sending putties at night," Kimberly rephrased simply.

Jason eyed her dubiously. "For a moment, I could have sworn that Billy was still inside your body," he told her.

Kimberly shrugged, eyeing him innocently. "Sorry, I guess I just got so used to living as Billy, that I forgot who I was for a moment…" She smiled and patted him on the arm. "Don't worry, nobody in this world is capable of being Kimberly Hart but me."

---

**Next in Episode Thirteen: 'Confessions After Dark'** - _While the freshman grade attends a camp on the outskirts of Angel Grove, the rangers agree to spend the week at the Command Center as a team, to help with some vital renovations. As the friends spend seven days, twenty-four hours in darkness, will they be able to keep their minds on the job at hand, or will confessions flow between people most unexpected?_

A/N- Sorry, this chapter was so long coming. I had a shocking past fortnight, and haven't been on the Internet. I hope this chapter fulfilled its duty and that you all followed it (because I have been a total scatter brain as of late). The emphasis was deliberately off the battle, so that I could focus more on the rangers themselves. Just to clear it up, Billy and Kimberly did switch back; however somehow, they retained part of each other's brains'. This will most likely be explored in later chapters, as will many of the other issues in this chapter (such as the trouble Billy may have caused now between Kimberly and the girls at school; Billy's life at home; as well as the relationship between him and Beth). Cheers to you all.


	14. Ep13: Confessions After Dark

**REBIRTH OF THE LEGACY**

**Confessions After Dark - Episode 13**

By Chanelle Summer

_While the freshman grade attends a camp on the outskirts of Angel Grove, the rangers agree to spend the week at the Command Center as a team, to help with some vital renovations. As the team spend seven days, twenty-four hours in darkness, will they be able to keep their minds on the job at hand, or will confessions flow between people most unexpected? _

* * *

**_The Scott Residence_**

**_Thursday 24th February 1994_**

"Tell me about it again. When is it?"

Kimberly lowered the paper in her hand to the bench and nodded her head. She had to sell the idea to Jason's mother and fast.

"The teachers think that because our focus this semester is on the environment, that we'd all benefit from a trip to the Corowa mountains where they're all into the environment and stuff…especially after all the attacks on Angel Grove, they think that it's time to have some fun…" She shrugged, attempting to keep the innocent spark in her eyes. "It sounds like it would be really fun...they have these really cool cabins and hiking trails."

Kath took the permission slip from the bench and quickly slid her reading glasses on, skimming over the paper as though it was some life or death document.

"It's next week," Jason finally spoke up as his mother finished with the note and turned to look at the calendar on the wall.

"Jason, you have three karate lessons next week, and basketball practice," Kath mentioned. "And Kim, you have two gymnastics classes, a karate lesson and you told Mrs. Munson that you would help her with her garden on Wednesday afternoon- remember she said she would pay you."

Kimberly looked to Jason. Just hearing out loud how many extra-curricular activities they both had each nearly made her mind spin. If only they could write their ranger duties onto the calendar, and then they'd really see just how full their schedules were.

"Come on, mom- we'll both use our savings to pay for the camp," Jason reasoned.

The middle-aged woman removed her glasses and nodded, mid-yawn. "Okay," she agreed. "You can both go on this camp, just make sure you let your coaches know that you'll be missing your classes. You've both been rather slack in going these past few weeks."

Kimberly jumped off the stool and raced around, wrapping her arms around her in an affectionate expression of thanks.

* * *

**_Sunday 27th March 1994_**

Zack took one last look around his room, sensing that he'd forgotten to pack something. His overnight bag was already overflowing, but it wasn't really clothing that he'd bothered to pack. He ensured he'd packed enough cassettes and a stereo, as well as some board games for good fun.

He'd been left in charge to bring the entertainment. Trini expressed that she would bring the food; while Jason agreed to bring the essentials they would need for the trip. Kimberly admitted she would probably have no room in her bag to bring much, but that she'd bring her guitar in case they wanted to play some music.

Billy didn't go into specifics on what he would bring. Zack figured that was best, being that the blue ranger had arranged for the week away and the reason for the trip lay very much in his domain.

As Zack struggled to do the zip to his bag up, he tried not to let the guilt creep back into his mind. Since becoming a ranger, he hadn't really felt a sense of guilt when he had had to lie about certain circumstances to his parents, but this time, he actually felt some. The decision for each of the rangers to tell their parents they were going on a school camp for the week had been a joint decision.

It's not as though they could have told their parents the truth.

The destination of their group adventure wouldn't be to the mountains to sit around bonfires and learn about the environment with the rest of their grade- they would instead be spending the week at the ranger Command Center helping Zordon and Alpha 5 with overdue renovations and additions.

Hence the whole fabricated story to their parents.

Zack was about to prepare for teleportation when he heard a familiar six beeps from his communicator.

"Yeah?"

"Hey Zack, you there yet?"

"Nuh Jase- I was just about to leave…didn't we say three o'clock?"

"Yeah, but Kim and I are running late…Kim can't find something, I don't know…anyway, let Zordon know we'll be late."

"Okay, man, see ya," Zack said goodbye.

He glanced around his room one last time. He was looking forward to hanging out with his friends for one whole week, without any restrictions.

* * *

Trini had arrived at the Command Center at a little before three, and was unsurprised to already discover Billy hunched over one of the computer panels near the viewing globe. She dropped her bag, pillow and blanket in the center of the floor and walked over to where the blue ranger was mid-sentence to Alpha 5. 

"Hey guys, what are you doing?" she asked them both as she stepped beside Billy. She glanced at the screen before him, noticing there appeared to be some kind of floor plan on the color screen.

Billy straightened himself over and extended his hand to touch the screen. "These are the floor plans for the Command Center, or at least, this is going to be our guide for the next week."

Trini leaned in a little to have a closer look. "It looks like there are many rooms," she mentioned, a little confused. "I thought that we only had this one and the small entrance room?"

Billy nodded and Alpha 5 moved his head towards her. "That's how it appears, Trini. However, before Zordon and I moved our ship down here, we had tunnels and rooms already built into the ground in the hope that one day we would be able to run a fully outfitted headquarters, complete with an infirmary, resting quarters, training room and an operational zords and weaponry bay."

Trini glanced at Billy in amazement. "Do we really have all of those facilities already here?"

Billy shrugged. "We have the basics," he admitted. "But, there was only so much that Alpha could do. If we spend this next week doing the manual labor, then we'll be able to get the new wing to at least basic standards."

Trini looked to her left as a flash of black appeared behind them and Zack opened his arms in an exaggerated gesture.

"Is it time to party, or what?" he joked with a large grin.

Trini smiled, still a little overwhelmed by what Billy had just told her. "Zack, you should see some of the stuff we are going to be working on this week."

"Nuh, nuh- I don't remember saying anything about work- didn't I sign up for the environment camp?" he joked.

Billy smiled himself and turned to face the black ranger. "Where are Kimberly and Jason?"

Zack plopped his overnight bag on the ground and sighed dramatically. "Jason just called and said that he and Kim are gonna be late…packing issues, I believe."

"VERY WELL," Zordon suddenly spoke up, from where he'd been observing them all quietly. "WHEN JASON AND KIMBERLY ARRIVE, WE WILL START ON THE TOUR TO YOUR NEW COMMAND CENTER."

* * *

Jason was only slightly miffed as he arrived at the Command Center with Kimberly some thirty minutes after their scheduled meeting time. He had gathered that the destination for their trip would have meant a relatively simple packing task for the pink ranger, but to Jason's disbelief, she proved once again, that she was the slowest packer he had ever known. 

"Hey Kim, I love the overalls," Trini greeted her best friend, as the two female rangers instantly started cooing over their wardrobe selections.

Jason rolled his eyes, stepping back as Kimberly quickly flounced past him and pulled a camera from out of her bag.

"Say cheese!" she announced, as she moved the viewing lens to her eye.

Jason quickly moved his hands up. "Kim! You can't take any photos in here!" he stammered in disbelief.

Kimberly lowered the camera and pouted a little as Zack spoke up. "Yeah, I mean just imagine the face on the photo dude when he develops your film and sees pictures of a giant bubble head and talking robot…no offence, Zordon and Alpha."

The pink ranger sighed. "Surly we can develop them ourselves? We need some memories."

Billy stepped towards her. "Maybe take some photos, but keep the camera here…Jason's right, we don't want anyone accidentally discovering such images."

She smiled, seemingly pleased with the compromise.

"Rangers, if you're ready I'll show you through the new wing of the Command Center," Alpha 5 suggested.

Kimberly's face twisted a little, her mouth open. "Wing? What do you mean?"

"Come this way and I'll show you," the android replied, and the rangers all shared a look as the followed their robot ally to a nearby wall.

As Jason approached the wall, it was then he realized it was in fact, a sliding door of some kind. It opened with a 'whooshing' sound and revealed a narrow corridor on its other side. The walls and low roof of the hall seemed to be made entirely of rock.

"The first room to the left will be the infirmary," Alpha 5 explained as they reached a doorless room.

Jason let his friends through first, and then wondered through. The room was small and relatively bare, asides from some machinery in the center of the area.

Billy turned around and addressed them all. "We need to put some cupboards together to store medical supplies and equipment and we'll have some stretchers in the case that we ever acquire any injuries."

Kimberly looked as Jason and he shook his head a little, as if to tell her not to worry. He had to admit even he was a little taken aback by the realism that one of them could get hurt in battle. Their powers easily made them feel invincible.

"The next room to the right is very tiny, but we will be able to use it as a resting chamber," Alpha 5 explained, as he led them to the room.

Jason stuck his head in, holding back a scoff as he realized the room was indeed very tiny; about the size of a janitor's cupboard. Billy explained that they would be putting up slatted bunk beds and the red ranger did his best to imagine it, while Zack cracked a round of jokes.

"Isn't this just amazing?" Trini whispered to Jason rhetorically, as they headed up the hall quite a long distance.

Jason shook his head as Alpha 5 and Billy both turned around to face them all.

"This room is one I believe both Jason and Zack will personally be enthused about," Billy stated.

Zack rubbed his hands together and Jason slapped him playfully on the shoulder, both of them playfully pushing through the door first. Jason glanced around the huge room a little confused, and looked back at Billy for an explanation.

"This is going to be a training room," Alpha 5 explained, as he waddled into the room after the rangers. "Here, you will all be able to test any new weaponry or battle techniques."

Jason's eyes' widened. "Seriously? That's an awesome idea!"

"Yeah, Alpha- that is smokin'!" Zack added with a grin.

"Smo-okin'?" Alpha 5 tried to repeat.

"What things are going to be in here?" Trini asked out loud.

Billy looked at the documents in his hand. "As you first walk in, there will be a manual workout area for endurance and strength training, and then the rest of the room will be used for any practice in our metamorphosis state; that is, weaponry training, like Alpha mentioned. The walls are coated in a foreign substance, specially formulated to resist our attacks."

"Oh," they all said in unison, nodding their heads.

Billy motioned with his hand. "The last area is personally my favorite," he told them, a glee lighting his aqua eyes. "I'm sure that you'll all be in equal awe when you see what I mean."

Unlike the three rooms before hand, the final room was blocked off with a heavy-duty door. Billy unclipped his morpher from his belt and placed his power coin into a slot near the door, as he simultaneously put his hand to a panel above the slot. Jason heard a beep and the door shot open.

"Whoa…what did you do?" Kimberly asked in amazement.

"Because this room requires such high security, you need a power coin and that individuals palm to gain access…" Billy shrugged, his eyes full of pride. "It's highly technologically advanced."

"That's an understatement, Billy-man…this is total James Bond!" Zack enthused and Jason laughed.

Their jokes were left in the hall, however, as they each entered the mammoth space and were all seemingly rendered speechless.

Jason had wondered where their zords were kept during times between battles, but he never would have guessed they were kept at the Command Center. The sight of the grand and impressive fighting machines in 'reality' was breathtaking and the red ranger couldn't begin to contemplate just how huge the underground bay was.

_This is going to be an amazing week, _Jason thought to himself, unbelievably excited about what the next seven days had in store for them.

* * *

The night, Jason opened his eyes, at first a little taken aback by the shimmering stars that glistened through the darkness. He realized his neck had been pinching and so he slowly rolled over, being careful not to make too much unnecessary noise. 

Being it was his first night sleeping in the main chamber, he was amazed at how unbelievably quiet it was in the headquarters at that time. He managed to move his arm that was tucked beneath his sleeping bag to look at the time. The red ranger had gathered it was late, but then again, after spending many hours well below ground level, it was easy to lose sense of time.

He rolled over to his other side, and slightly narrowed his eyes as he noticed the pink sleeping bag beside him was empty. Jason guessed that Kimberly must have gotten up to go for a toilet break, but he was uneasy that she hadn't woken anyone up to go with her.

_I wonder where she is…_

The air inside the Command Center had been unknowingly warm, and as Jason made his way up the steel stairs and out through the top exit of the complex, he was overwhelmed by goose bumps. The outside air was biting, the chill wrapping around every inch of unexposed skin as he stood among the dark wilderness.

It was especially dark, as he stood alone. The clouds in the pitch-black sky had covered any evidence of the stars above. The tall nestles of trees around him made a slight rustling noise in the gentle breeze, but otherwise it was deathly silent. Not eerie, or scary- just really quiet.

That's why it was so easy for him to hear Kimberly's trudging near the foliage nearby, her quick steps coming in his direction. A burst of light suddenly shone in his direction, and he automatically covered his eyes as Kimberly burst out in a gasp.

"Oh my gosh! You startled me!" she whispered in shock, as she quickly lowered the torch beam from his face.

Jason waited as she continued towards him. "Sorry. I wanted to make sure you were okay," he admitted.

She nodded. "I'm fine; just looking forward to getting a bathroom into this place one day," she commented light-heartedly.

He laughed quietly as he studied her face in the dim torchlight. It was two in the morning, and yet Kimberly's brown eyes' were wide-awake.

"Couldn't you sleep?" he guessed and she conceded with a nod.

"I fell asleep okay, but when I woke up like an hour ago, I just couldn't get back to sleep…"

"You want some company?" he asked her. He was tired, but strangely alert at that moment, as though he wanted to experience the surreal week in every way possible.

They both took a seat on a lumpy patch of dry grass and Jason set up the torch so they had enough light to see each other and around them. He had visions of Rita sending putties or a monster to surprise attack them at that moment.

"It has just been so unreal here," Kimberly finally spoke up through the silence that had drifted between them.

Jason nodded, understanding her feelings clearly. "It's so awesome to think that we are actually helping with all of this…it's gonna be great when we have a training room," he shared.

She smiled. "Ernie'll miss you if you stop going to the youth center," she teased him lightly.

He shook his head. "Yeah, well I figure we won't be able to train too much here…all this sneaking around our parents is kinda blowing out of control at the moment."

"Just think, how excited your mom and dad would be if they knew that you were a power ranger," Kimberly suddenly said. "I just think so many times how I wish that we could tell people- it's like, having the most exciting news in the world, but never being able to share it with anyone." She leant back on her hands. "I sometimes think about how people would see us if they knew."

"Well, we'd probably get out of doing the dishes and lawns," he joked, liking that she smiled at him as he spoke. "And we'd probably get out of school sometimes."

Her smile grew into a grin as she dramatically threw her head back. "And we'd probably get a ton of free clothes, too," she added, giggling as she moved her head back straight.

He laughed a little, but his face grew more serious. "At least we have each other, right?" he said. "I don't think it really matters that nobody else can know…it's always been us five and that hasn't changed."

She nodded, her face mirroring his seriousness. "And you and I have each other to talk to. The others go home to their families, but at least we can always talk stuff through."

"Yeah-." He yawned and she started laughing at him.

"Think it's past your bed time, red ranger," she teased him.

He shook his head, dismissing her suggestion. "No, no I'm fine. Really. I'm enjoying this…just talking with you, out here…it's not like we're gonna get a chance to do it forever, so who cares about sleep."

She smiled at him, and he immediately saw the gratefulness in her eyes.

* * *

Zack wasn't naturally a handy person. He'd helped his father in the backyard shed on a few occasions, but even then the older man would comment how his son was so much like his mother. 

A big mouth, restless legs and clueless about simple tasks.

It's not that Zack wasn't a hard worker- he genuinely enjoyed completing tasks where he could clearly see the results of hard labor. But he knew he was a distraction. As he and Billy worked on the infirmary on their second day at the Command Center, Zack wondered how long it would take until the blue ranger gently suggested that his African American friend go and help one of their other teammates.

Zack's feet were moving now, as he helped Billy construct two very simple cabinets. He could hear music from the main chamber, and laughed at the thought of Alpha 5 dancing to the stereo he brought for their trip.

"Man, I love this song," Zack murmured as the music changed.

Billy's eyes' remained unmoved. "Alpha seems to really enjoy music," he commented.

Zack began to sing, laughing as he heard Kimberly's voice warbling from somewhere in the main hallway. She was the only one of his friends that shared his passion for music, and he smiled at the thought that their singing would drive the other rangers insane after a few days.

And as the words spilled out of his mouth, thoughts poured into his mind and he spoke them aloud without much hesitation.

"Did you notice that Jason and Kimberly went outside for like two hours last night?" Zack asked Billy, moving his eyes off the panel.

Zack really did have a tendency to share random thoughts.

Billy remained focused on his task, but still nodded to acknowledge his question. "I heard them both return some time after four this morning," he shared. "I think they were both having difficulty sleeping in the different environment."

Zack thought about Billy's comment and nodded to himself. He could completely understand that issue, being that he woke up at least three times during the night himself. Being that he was one of the heaviest sleepers he'd ever known, that was quite an unusual feat for the black ranger.

Still, he suddenly couldn't stop thinking about the red and pink rangers developing relationship. Okay, so that fact wasn't exactly based on any concrete proof, but Zack had a feeling. He liked to think he was close to all of his teammates and that he noticed when things changed between them.

"Would you pass me that hammer?" Billy suddenly asked, extending his arm towards the small box of tools between them.

Zack passed the hammer to him, momentarily letting go of his thoughts, before he spoke up again.

"Do you think that maybe Jason…I dunno, has some kind of feelings for…Kim?"

The words came out so strangled and Zack lowered his eyes to the floor. Billy looked at the black ranger slightly confused, but as always, didn't voice his objections.

"What kind of feelings are you referring to?"

Zack shrugged awkwardly. _That's the problem…I don't really have any idea, because I haven't really seen anything-._

Billy lowered the hammer and Zack stopped his own work as the blue ranger spoke further. "You think that Jason likes Kimberly in a romantic way?" Billy asked him.

Zack nodded slowly and then quickly shook his head. "I-I don't know…I just…I dunno if they're usually like this at home, and we don't see it- maybe this is normal for them…but Jason, he seems to be tripping over her…Maybe."

Billy stared at him thoughtfully. "Have you questioned Jason about it? You're his best friend and I am certain if you ask him that he'll accede to opening up and telling you what you want to know."

"Yeah, maybe…I don't know if I really want to start something though, you know? Maybe it's best if I keep my mouth closed."

"Look, if you want to know my opinion- I believe that Jason and Kimberly have bonded over mutual circumstances for many years now…if they do feel that way toward each other, then maybe it will make it easier for them to express those feelings if we let them know that we are okay with them." Billy lifted his hammer and poised it against the final screw. "But, right now, we better get this cabinet up and then the infirmary will be completed."

* * *

Meanwhile, out in the hallway, Kimberly and Jason were busy hammering panels together for the training room. It was a repetitive task and Kimberly was beginning to show signs of losing concentration, when it happened. 

"Ouch!"

Kimberly immediately dropped the hammer to the ground and grasped her finger tightly, cursing under her breath as she did little hops on the spot. She heard a bang from behind her, and figured quickly that Jason had heard her slam her thumb with the heavy tool.

"What happened?" he asked, as he quickly jogged toward her.

She swung around, her face twisted into an expression of agony and let out a little whimper. "I don't think you should let me near that hammer again," she managed to murmur with slight sarcasm.

He smiled at her tone, and quickly reached with his own hands to inspect her damage.

"You broke a fingernail," he noticed.

Her jaw dropped slightly and she moved the finger closer to her face, a groan gurgling from her as she realized he was right. "Argh…I can't believe that!" she muttered, before sighing. "Just when I thought I was getting the hang of this whole hammering thing."

"It's okay, I'll get Zack to help me when he's done with Billy," Jason told her.

Kimberly squinted her eyes at him boldly. "No, I can do it," she told him forcefully.

He sighed. "Okay, whatever… Let's have a break, we've been doing this all morning…"

She turned the toolbox upside down and used it as a seat, watching as he dropped down on the ground and leaned against the wall. They were both tired and had gotten little sleep the night before hand, instead spending much of it talking and reminiscing above ground.

"Do you think if we stayed down here for like months, that we'd go crazy?" Kimberly murmured, aimlessly.

Jason seemed to be playing with his shoe, but laughed a little at her comment. "Why? Do you think you're starting to lose your mind?"

"No…not really…not anymore than normal, anyway."

"I think Billy would like to live here one day…I can just see us having to ban him from here once this week is over," Jason said light-heartedly.

"Me, I couldn't do it. I'd miss the sun too much, and I hate the dark…I thought when I used to hate it, that it was because I was a wuss, but I still hate it."

"Hate it or scared of it?"

She looked at him and shrugged a little, her eyes dropping slightly. "A little afraid. I like to see what's around me. I hate night. The only thing that's remotely nice about it is looking at the stars."

Kimberly stretched her legs out a little. She could feel Jason's eyes still on her and slowly looked up, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious.

"Have you been having any dreams lately…"

Her eyes widened, not expecting the question.

"You know, the ones where-."

"I know what you mean." She sighed a little. "Not really…not like I use to. Thanks to you, I think I'm cured."

She knew he didn't believe her completely, but as he had so many times before, he didn't push. "You know, the night that Zack stayed over just before we became rangers that week, I had a dream about aliens and us saving the planet…" He chuckled quietly and shook his head. "I didn't really think about it much until you told me about your dream before school that day…"

Kimberly straightened herself up, suddenly curious about what Jason was telling her. For some reason, hearing that he had had a similar dream made her feel a little better. Not so crazy; not so different.

"I didn't realize you had a dream like that too…wow, you totally should have told me sooner."

He shrugged a little. "I guess Zack and Billy were right- everyone dreams crazy stuff at some time," he told her.

Kimberly nodded. Her teammates had always been so comforting, always trying to make her feel normal. A year or two earlier, she used to think they didn't really mean what they said; that it was just an attempt to make her feel like less of an outcast. But a couple of years on, and a touch of maturity under her belt made Kimberly believe that maybe they were right all along.

_Maybe everyone goes through crazy times_? She wondered.

"Thanks for the chat last night," Kimberly told him.

"It's cool. It was fun."

They both looked up as Zack suddenly poked his head out from the infirmary and bobbed his eyebrows up and down.

"You finished singing out of tune?" Kimberly teased him dryly.

The black ranger made a face. "Just checking on you kiddos and making sure you're keeping your minds on the job at hand," he replied.

Kimberly made a face back at him as Jason helped her stand up to return to their task.

* * *

**_Wednesday 2nd March 1994_**

Jason had to admit that when he learnt of plans to establish their very own training room at the Command Center, he was totally blown away. He had so many ideas instantly circling in his head. It was the same feeling a young boy experienced when his father told him he could build a tree house.

The girls had decided they had little interest in working on the combat practice room, but Jason guessed they didn't want to get caught in his enthusiasm. It wasn't like Jason to be so verbal, but when it was something he had a passion for, that was a different story altogether. Luckily for him, he had Zack every step of the way or else he may have totally lost the plot.

"So, just imagine, we can come down here and kick butt whenever we want," Zack enthused, as he danced around on the spot. He stepped back and sent a swiping arm to a sturdy punching bag behind him and Jason laughed at his excitement.

"I can't believe that we'll actually have the ability to practice using our weapons in here and everything…" he grabbed hold of the second punching bag, as though he were too excited to stand up straight. "Man, that's going to be awesome…"

"Sure is, red boy," Zack agreed, mock attacking Jason.

Jason sent a swiping jab back, and the black ranger quickly backed off. "So, does this mean you won't be frequenting Ernie's anymore?"

Jason shook his head, running his hand over his forehead, which was beaded with sweat. It was humid in the training room, and Jason could feel his body was getting close to needing some fresh air.

"You know, Kimberly said the same thing to me the other night," he finally explained to Zack.

The black ranger's tongue seemed to roll in his mouth a little and Jason straightened himself up. "What's that for?"

Zack shook his head. "Nothing, man."

But Jason's gaze remained narrowed. "Come on, Zack; don't be stupid. I know you're bursting to tell me something."

"Tell me about you and Kim…"

Jason's narrowed gaze turned into a frown. "What do you mean, tell you what about us?"

Zack's face had 'guilt' written all over it. Boys didn't have to spend hours sharing their thoughts or emotions with each other to know what their best friend was thinking. Jason could clearly see The Look on Zack's face and it set him off without warning.

"Zack, what are you doing?" Jason cut him off. "There's nothing going on between Kimberly and I. We are just friends."

"Uh-huh," Zack nodded his head, but Jason could tell he was playing around.

Jason sighed, slightly frustrated. This was a conversation he didn't want to be having, especially with Zack. The black ranger was his best buddy, but he knew that nothing would ever stay a secret between the team of five. Jason certainly wasn't about to let this sliver of scandal creep into their minds.

He especially didn't want Kimberly hearing about it.

"Where did all of this come from, anyway? You know that Kimberly and I are just friends…"

"And I said, 'uh-huh'," Zack commented. "Look, I was just sensing a bit of change between you two and I thought that maybe things were going back the way they were…"

Jason shook his head. He couldn't believe that Zack still remembered that. It hadn't exactly been a secret between the two friends that Jason had began to develop 'complicated' feelings for Kimberly during the sixth grade, something he had never managed to communicate to her. He had asked her to their first dance together, and he remembered the smile of excitement on her face; the way she had said 'yes'.

And it was that same day that Kimberly had last seen her parents alive. The next time Jason had seen her after the happiest moment in his young life, was when he'd walked in on her scraggly and broken form, sitting lost in that lonely hospital room.

That day changed everything. Jason couldn't pretend it didn't happen. Both he and Kimberly had instantly assumed their new lives, as friends. Just the way they were before.

It was all so embarrassing now.

Jason found himself unable to respond to Zack's comment, and so he took a sip from his drink bottle on the floor.

"Sorry if I annoyed you, bro; I was just joking."

"It's fine," Jason said. "I hadn't thought about all that until you mentioned it. Seems like forever ago."

"Yeah, it was. I mean, it was years ago, man…" Zack took a sip from his own drink.

"Kimberly and I are just friends," Jason restated. "That's how we'll always be."

The words revolved around his mind. Why did Zack have to bring those thoughts up? Jason only thought of Kimberly as a friend…sure, she was pretty and nice, and knew more about him than most people, but that was it.

He needed to persuade Zack, but he wanted to convince himself. If only to not get his hopes up for something he knew Kimberly would never see in him.

* * *

Billy found himself questioning his commitment to the seven-day long Command Center extension, when he discovered he was enjoying his time below ground more than what was possibly healthy. While his teammates had all gone above ground for short spells, Billy and remained almost permanently on task, only leaving his post for brief breaks when nature called. 

They were all used to it, though. They had all known the blue ranger long enough to know what was expected from him and didn't question his long hours spent fiddling on systems, or buried under computers. That's why he was slightly surprised when Trini actually voiced her concern during their forth day in darkness.

"Billy…why don't you take a break? You have been working on those monitor systems all day."

Billy reluctantly crawled out from underneath the bench and offered his caring friend a polite smile.

"I apologize, Trini. It's just that getting these systems to full operational capabilities is one of the most prioritized tasks during this week," he explained.

She nodded. "I understand that. But maybe you would like to go and get some fresh air? Jason and Zack are busy playing in the training room, I think and Kimberly is trying to get lunch ready. We should go for a walk before she finishes."

Billy couldn't say no to Trini. He never had been able to. It had been that way since he had met her during grade school, and he quickly learnt it was because of the gentleness in her voice. Whenever she spoke to him, she did so with such sincerity in only the way that a best friend was able to.

He didn't like to categorize his closest friends, disbelieving that any one of them stood greater above the rest. They were all special to him in their own way, no matter how clichéd that statement was. Billy had felt his friendship with Kimberly deepen over the passing months, but with Trini it was different. He and the yellow ranger had always been close without any outside or incidental influences.

As they made their way up the stairs and out through the exit hole, Billy quickly realized that he had indeed spent too much time in the dark. His eyes burnt as they connected with the light, and each breath circulated a cooling yet waking burst of life through him.

Trini had been right.

"Let me show you something," she said to him, as they started down a row of trees to the right. Billy could see the long grass had been matted down in that direction and he realized that his friends must have walked that way several times before.

"How have you been enjoying the work on the Command Center?" Trini asked him as they continued along the unmarked route.

"It's been both highly enjoyable and beneficial. At times I find myself wishing it were an experience I could share with my father- I know that such technology would be beyond his wildest anticipations."

"In years to come, you'll be one of the most highly regarded scientists, Billy…your father will be proud of you then."

He thought for a moment about her comment. "I am not certain about what direction my life shall take," he admitted quietly. The statement shocked him as much as it did her.

She looked at him. "You're not sure about doing a career in science?"

He half shrugged, half nodded and then promptly put his hands in his pockets. "Since I was young, I expected from myself to follow in my father's footsteps'. Not because of his expectations, but because our commitment to science almost seems innate. But since we've been rangers and I've been exposed to so many things that completely override even the basic dreams of what the future may hold for technology, I suddenly find myself questioning if such a career would be substantial enough for me."

Trini nodded, but remained quiet.

"What do you plan to do with your life, Trini?"

Her eyes seemed to become more serious. "I still think I want to study medicine…maybe not general practice, maybe even follow in my father's footsteps. Lin often writes and tells me how much she enjoys medical school. I think that I would, also."

"I believe you'd make an excellent physician…you have the right grades and if it's something that you have a passion for, then you can do it. You're very similar to you sister and father."

She smiled a little and looked his way once more. "You think I'm like my father?"

"In many ways…I know you think he's overbearing and insufferable, but he's also very intelligent and caring. He really is the only one out of all of our parents to even notice our slightly suspicious movements since we've become rangers."

They walked through a clearing and stopped, as a ridge appeared in the distance. Billy realized that because of her fear of heights, that Trini would unlikely approach the sharp drop any closer, so they both remained at the comfortable distance and stared out at the swiping views of the outskirts of Angel Grove.

"Thankyou for the walk," he almost whispered to her, as they stood side by side.

And as if cementing their unspoken bond, they both turned together and began to head back for lunch, both of them retreating to their own thoughts. Billy never would have contemplated that that stroll would make him realize he had so many question marks sitting beside the dreams he had had since he was born.

* * *

Kimberly and Trini found themselves working on the resting quarters on the following day, and they both seemed to enjoy the easy-go nature of the task. There was nothing remotely strenuous or tiring about the job and it gave them plenty of time to just chat. 

Being cooped up with boys for days meant they were almost overdue for some girl-to-girl discussions.

Kimberly was the first of them to sit down, and shortly after Trini found herself slumped down on the low leveled bed opposite her. The room was designed to be compact, but held two triple story bunk beds, and although it wasn't the most comfortable of arrangements, it certainly fulfilled its role.

"Uh…" Kimberly murmured. "Sleeping on these beds tonight is gonna be like paradise after sleeping on the floor…"

Trini smiled, as she stretched her legs out. She didn't realize how much her body had suffered from their hard sleeping arrangements until her back touched the softness of a real mattress.

"This is so cool…I mean, I admit it's a little cramped, but with some wardrobe space and a mirror splash-back, it'll be the perfect weekend hangout," Kimberly chattered with a smile.

Trini rolled over so she was facing her friend and nodded her head. "Although, I doubt we'll get much time to relax here. Don't you think that Zordon must think that Rita will try and do something big? I guess that's why we're putting all this stuff in here now."

Kimberly ran her hand over to smooth her head, silence momentarily strangling her reply. "You know, I never thought of it that way…" she finally whispered. "Do you think Zordon knows something that he hasn't told us?"

"I don't know. If he hasn't told us, I'm sure he has a good reason for it."

Kimberly didn't look so convinced. "Maybe…he knows Rita, I mean, they use to be friends. It's sort of strange to try and picture it."

"Well, they were both warriors together. We should ask Zordon to tell us some stories tonight after dinner."

Kimberly smiled, a twinkle in her eye. "That is a great idea! I bet you Zordon has so much to tell us…Tonight is the perfect night for some campfire stories- minus the fire, of course."

"Yes, it will save us from having to listen to Zack and Jason all night again…I think I'm going to buy Zack a joke book for his birthday this year so he can start telling us some new jokes," Trini told her.

Kimberly nodded dramatically and then turned over on her stomach. "What are you talking about, Trini? You and Billy have been sleeping off to the side…so tell me, where did you two go yesterday before lunch? Billy seemed weird when you got back."

Trini felt guilty for a moment, and then shook it off. She had nothing to feel guilty about!

"We just went for a walk to the lookout…Billy has hardly been above ground since we got here," Trini watched her best friend curiously. She had assumed that Kimberly was prying for gossip, but something told her it was something else.

"You and Billy have seemed closer lately…he talks about you a lot," Trini mentioned slightly quietly.

Kimberly nearly flinched. "Oh, it's just the whole body swap thing," she told her dismissively. "I guess we're just more on the same wavelength nowadays."

Trini nodded, but felt strangely unsatisfied by the pink ranger's comment. It couldn't be jealousy- but maybe it was. The yellow ranger had always been so close to Billy, yet somehow during the years they had all known each other, he and Kimberly had been brought together through so many powerful experiences.

Trini just couldn't compete with that. She considered both Kimberly and Billy her closest friends, yet somehow they were closer to each other. The yellow ranger wasn't talking about romance. She didn't feel _that _way about any of her friends.

This was about not wanting to be a third wheel in friendship.

"Wow, don't break your backs," Jason's voice joked as he and Billy stuck their heads into the tiny room.

Kimberly jumped up from her bed and dropped beside Trini, putting an arm around her shoulder. "Can we please get like a moment away from you boys?" Kimberly asked, sharing a smile with Trini. "This is girly time; no boys allowed."

* * *

That night at the Command Center proved to be the most revealing, especially in regards to their mentor and his incomprehensible past. Kimberly had unofficially declared the night to be a 'campfire' stories night, and pretty soon the hype spread around the team. 

After finishing their dinner of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, they spread their sleeping bags on the floor of the main chamber, each of them facing so they could gaze at the striking tube of light that held the greatest idol of good that ever existed.

Well, that's what Jason gathered from the stories Zordon told them that night.

Because it had been her idea, Kimberly was the first to speak to Zordon directly. She didn't hold back either, instantly asking him to tell them about his past. His past as a warrior; his past as a human and then slowly, his past with their nemesis- before she had turned to the side of darkness.

He explained to them that he had been a warrior, born on a planet known as Eltar, but quickly became a protector of nearly the entire universe. Feeling a sense of duty after his own planet came under attack from a then humanoid, young and obnoxious Lord Zedd, he spent much of his years traveling to planets and dimensions and preaching to them about self-belief and standing up to the looming dark empire. Zordon explained that while he met many disbelievers to the rebellion cause, his words did cause many ripples of opposition, which led ultimately to his personal battle against Zedd.

Once Zedd learnt of the young man that was sermonizing the words of Good to galaxies spanning the entire universe, the emperor quickly focused his attention on the containment and ultimate destruction of Zordon. He explained to them that it was during that time his allegiance with Rita blossomed, but was ultimately cut short when Zordon was trapped in the imprisonment of light.

_"So, you lost?"_ Kimberly had questioned.

Zordon admitted that while Zedd had stripped him of his physical freedom, and later, his ability to stop the pandemic of evil that washed over nearly the entire universe, that he had forever left his own mark on the emperor. Zordon described that while the rangers had been fortunate to have not come face to face with Zedd, that if they were ever forced to meet the emperor of darkness, they would clearly see what damage had been bestowed to him during their final fight.

"So, tell us then, you were one of the best warriors in the universe…what about Rita?" Kimberly questioned.

"RITA WAS A COMMENDABLE WARRIOR HERSELF. IN FACT, IN TERMS OF ABILITY SHE MATCHED ME IN EVERY WAY. SHE WAS HIGHLY REGARDED AMONGST THIS END OF THE GALAXY AND ACTIVELY ACHIEVED THE FREEDOM OF SO MANY ENSLAVED PLANETS AND DIMENSIONS…TO OUR BENEFIT, HER SUCCESS SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN DAMAGED SOMEWHAT SINCE TURNING TO THE SIDE OF DARKNESS."

"Hey Zordon, where did our power coins come from?" Jason suddenly wondered aloud. He had been meaning to ask that question since the very first day they had been given their ranger orders.

"YOUR POWER COINS WERE CREATED THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO, DURING THE PEAK OF ZEDD'S TYRANNY ACROSS THE GALAXY. ZEDD NO LONGER SAW ME AS A THREAT TO THE EMPIRE AND I USED THAT PERIOD OF DISINTEREST TO CREATE THE COINS FROM THE SMALL AMOUNT OF GOOD, PURE ENERGY LEFT IN THE UNIVERSE. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF 'THE MASTER', WHO ALLOWED YOU ACCESS TO YOUR WEAPONS, WE CREATED THE COINS IN THE HOPE THAT ONE DAY GOOD WOULD HAVE THE POWER TO STAND UP AGAINST THE ZEDD EMPIRE."

"Is it possible to just make more coins then? I mean, couldn't we have like a ton of rangers then?" Zack asked and Jason sniggered at the thought.

"UNFORTUNATELY ZACHARY, IT DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY. THERE IS ALWAYS OPPORTUNITIES TO GAIN HIGHER POWER, BUT THE POWER THAT EACH OF YOU HAS BEEN BESTOWED, IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS HANDED BY FATE LIGHTLY. WITH POWER, COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY…BUT AT THE SAME TIME, POWER CAN BARE SO MANY EQUALLY NEGATIVE FORCES. THAT IS WHY THE SELECTION PROCESS WAS COMPLETED SO CAREFULLY."

They all remained momentarily silent. Jason felt particularly touched by Zordon's words'. He wasn't completely convinced by the entire idea of fate in selecting them to assume their ranger roles, but he knew that their mentor wanted them to understand just how important their identities were. It was all about honor.

The discussions then crept into talk about missions that Zordon had completed and planets he had seen. He fondly recounted situations with the most unusual of beings and almost always gave a moral to every story he told. Jason had always been a believer that even the meanest of people had the capability to be friends and as Zordon reinforced that point time and time again, he knew that such a concept was one for him to always remember no matter what situation they faced.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I am wiped," Zack mentioned, as he slowly sat up and ran his hand over his face.

Jason looked down at the time and was shocked to see it was well after midnight. He was only a little physically exhausted after their days of labor, but he knew he wouldn't get much sleep that night. He would be too busy thinking about the tales that Zordon had told them, wondering if they would ever be lucky enough to make such a mark on intergalactic peace.

* * *

Despite the mass of gadgets, computers and advanced technological systems the Command Center was home to, there was something that excited Billy more than any of those when it came to their lives as rangers. As he found himself wondering up the corridor and his blue eyes skimmed over the tall, sleek lines of their framework, he was especially blown away at the concept of being so close to them. 

The housing bay for their zords was the room that required the least amount of work that week, but for some reason, Billy still found himself wondering through the massive area in constant awe. Each zord still glimmered in superiority, their bold colors sparkling despite the lack of lighting.

It was their second last day on their stay, and so after going for his daily walk with Trini that morning, Billy headed for the zord bay in hope to make some final adjustments. He knew he was probably being over fastidious with the zord's charging systems, but he didn't want to risk them not working to full potential. There just wasn't any room for errors in their profession, and after his recent scientific mistakes, he wanted to prove he had what it took to get it right.

He wondered towards the pterodactyl zord, and slowed as he spotted Kimberly's petite figure staring upwards at her sleek flying machine. He hadn't expected to find the pink ranger there, but he could see the twinkle in her eyes and liked the idea of sharing his awe with someone who could understand it.

"Wow…" she murmured, her eyes slowly moving to Billy. "I can't believe how big they are in real life…"

Billy smiled, and nodded. "They are quite remarkable," he agreed. He watched as she continued to stare at the fighter robot, and was almost mesmerized by the marvel in her eyes when her sudden gaze towards him caught him off guard.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" she asked him.

He motioned to the toolbox in his hand and then gestured to a control panel in the far corner. "I'm here to do some maintenance and upgrades on the zord's charging systems…if you like, you can help?"

She smiled and nodded her head. "Yeah, I'd love to…just promise me, it won't involve switching bodies or brains with anyone," she joked.

He couldn't contain the blush that seemed to swell in his cheeks at the very reminder. Billy still felt an overwhelming sense of guilt at his blunder, and despite Kimberly's constant reassurance, he simply couldn't overcome the shame.

Her wry smile softened and she eyed him more earnestly. "I'm sorry, I was only joking…"

"Uh, it's okay, Kimberly…I know you were," he told her.

Billy immediately moved the pliers to the first panel, as Kimberly jumped up and sat up on the nearby bench. She swung her jean-hugged legs backwards and forwards as they began to talk, about nothing in particular, until the topic came up once more.

"I was actually thinking the other night…I don't know why, these things seem to come to me at the strangest of times…when you were in my body, did you…see me naked?"

He almost dropped the delicate tool in his hand and reached his free hand to his glasses that nearly fell off when he flinched.

"Of course not, Kimberly," he told her, more forcefully than he had anticipated. "I told you, I wouldn't do that."

She bit her lip and he couldn't understand why she was still acting so nervous.

"I-." Kimberly sighed. "I accidentally saw you naked when I took a shower," she blurted out. She bit her lip again, her face twisted in the ultimate expression of embarrassment.

Billy stared at her speechless for a moment. He hadn't been expecting that.

"I'm sorry," she almost whispered.

He gulped a little and sighed, deciding that the conversation was too intense for him to continue the work on the zords' systems'.

"It's all right," he told her, only slightly looking at her. "I understand that you wouldn't have done it on purpose."

She shook her head forcefully. "It was a complete accident. As soon as I saw, I covered my eyes…I think I totally forgot who I was and what I was doing…"

Billy didn't like that Kimberly was so embarrassed, but at the same time he was feeling equally mortified. He'd never really thought too much about his looks until that year, more especially in regards to his personal attributes, but the thought that a female friend had seen him in his full glory was terrifying.

_Just relax, Billy. Kimberly is your friend, and you were the reason that all eventuated, anyhow. Say something…she looks upset. _

Kimberly's confession reminded him of something he had failed to speak to her about, sooner.

"Actually, while we're on the topic of our body switch, I wanted to say that I found the letter that you wrote in my room on the night of our switch…I read it; several times. I wanted to say thankyou for your kind words. They uh, really meant a lot to me."

Kimberly seemed to release a breath she had been holding as her eyes softened. "I'm glad you liked it. I wanted to tell you what I thought about the experience…I mean, it was so weird and awful, but at the same time, it wasn't because of you or the fact that I ended up in your body. I would have felt that way no matter whose body I ended up in."

"There's uh, something else I wanted to say…I think it's important."

"What is it, Billy?"

"Thankyou," he said, as though making some sweeping announcement. "Thankyou for not saying anything to anyone else about my life…I know that to most people, my life would seem boring and empty, and yes, even a little embarrassing. My father is unusual and we have a different relationship than most other fathers and sons. You had the opportunity to tell everyone stories, but you didn't, and I appreciate that. Really, Kim. I do…I will never forget it."

Kimberly's mouth opened a little, lost for words as they momentarily gazed directly at each other.

She was the first to speak up again, and did so with a slight laugh. "Is there anything else we haven't told each other yet?"

"I've told you everything," he told her quietly and she nodded with seeming relief.

He glanced back at the tools in his box and picked up a screwdriver. Extending it toward Kimberly, he watched as she frowned a little and took the tool in her hand.

She raised an eyebrow and he smiled a little. "You can help with this," he explained. "Don't tell me you haven't had a sudden interest in working on these systems…I've noticed in passing a few of these areas, that you've been looking at these computers by yourself…"

She smiled a little sheepishly and shrugged. "I guess I feel as though I understand them more since our switch…I didn't think our personality displacement would remain, but it has…" She shrugged again. "While I don't believe it'll change me much; I mean, I'm still me more than I am you…I guess getting a bit of your brain has helped me have an interest in things that are probably a bit more important than the stuff I usually care about."

Billy nodded, understanding what Kimberly meant. After all, since their switch a mere two weeks earlier, the blue ranger had had brief moments where unusual thoughts or feelings had washed over him. In the mornings, he seemed to spend more care on getting ready for school. He'd also found himself listening to a radio he'd borrowed from his father's office and as a whole, the blue ranger found his passion for science slightly dimmer than it had been before hand.

"So, if you like, I'll examine the circuitry of the base charger, just to establish that there are no faults and that the system has been assembled in a stable manner…"

Billy frowned a little at Kimberly's comment, before she broke into a toothy grin and let out a hoot. "Ha ha, Billy- I'm only kidding!" she giggled, slapping him playfully on the arm. "As if I would really know what I'm doing…"

Billy smiled at her and shook his head, as he began to teach her a little bit, feeling for the first time that he saw eye to eye with his opposite in the human world.

* * *

Kimberly was starting to miss her bed at home, as she found herself wondering down one of the corridors in the new wing of the Command Center on that night. The first night had been exciting, but every night that followed was slowly wearing her down. Or, more specifically, the sleeping arrangements were starting to hurt her back. 

She liked the way the Command Center was starting to look. The pride she felt within herself was something she hadn't experienced before. She had achieved things in the past- winning gymnastics competitions or getting a fantastic grade for an assignment, but this feeling was so much different. She'd done things she never thought she could do before. They all had.

As she walked through the sliding door and into the main chamber, her eyes immediately fell on his body up ahead. Jason was sitting on the step in front of the viewing globe, his head hung down as though he were looking at something on his lap.

"What on earth are you doing at this hour?" she asked him as she walked towards him.

He glanced up at her and she waited for him to slide across the step, giving her enough room to sit beside him. She watched as he continued to fiddle with the gadget in his lap, an expression of confusion running over her face.

"Um, shouldn't Billy be doing that?" she asked him curiously.

He smiled a little at her tone. "He lost a screw in here, and I'm trying to find it…Don't worry, I have no plans of trying to become a scientist," he murmured. He lowered the screwdriver to the floor beside him and cast his brown eyes her way.

"Why are you up?" he asked her.

"Oh, you know…we have to go back home tomorrow and so I thought I'd miss our late night talks…" She smiled sheepishly. "Plus, those beds are totally killing my back," she admitted.

"Yeah…"

"Jase…can I ask you something? I mean, I know that's a totally stupid question, but I want to know…" She sighed. He was forever patient with her, waiting as she gathered her messy thoughts and feelings into some kind of sentence. "You know that we're friends; like, best friends…"

He raised an eyebrow as if to tease her, but quickly composed himself.

She sighed again, almost wishing that she hadn't began the topic. "Do you…how much do I mean to you?"

Their eyes locked together and they both sat motionless, Kimberly becoming so paranoid about the intense and awkward moment that she began to chew on her lip.

He sighed, almost making the sound a slight laugh. "Kim. Has Zack been talking to you by any chance?" he finally asked her, raising both of his eyebrows.

Kimberly inwardly flinched. "What do you mean? I asked about you, not Zack…"

"Yeah, and Zack's been pestering me all week about whether or not I have 'feelings' for you…"

He said it in such a tone, that Kimberly rocked back slightly, unable to hang onto her composure. Why did he say it in such a way? Was the concept so horrible to him?

He sighed once more and shook his head, reaching his hand to rest it on her knee. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to come out like that. I told Zack to lay off the gossiping- I know you're probably annoyed about it too."

This was the moment. Kimberly realized she had two very risky options, both of which had blaringly obvious pros and cons. She could take the conversation further; attempt to pierce the wall that Jason had suddenly built around himself or she could end it, there and then, never to bring the subject of deeper feelings to life.

_If he felt that way, he would have said something…he certainly wouldn't have said those things that way. _

_In all these years, he's never said anything…maybe if things would have been different…I dunno. I mean, I used to like him. A lot. Maybe I just think I feel that way because we're always together and he -. _

"Kim?"

She had dazed out, and only just realized it.

"You okay?"

She nodded, a little numbly, but he didn't pick up on it. "Yeah…I was just thinking. Being here this week has made me realize how much I love all you guys. Do you think we're gonna be friends forever?"

"Definitely. Just imagine us, kicking alien butts when we're all old and gray…"

She giggled, releasing the tension she'd been harboring to that moment. "I hope we're not gonna be rangers forever!" she laughed.

"Why? I think I'd wanna be a ranger forever…"

She looked into his earnest eyes, his commitment to their pledge so clearly written on his expression. "Yeah, I believe that…" she finally said, as she placed her hand on the one that he still had rested on her knee.

* * *

_**Saturday 5th March 1994**_

"RANGERS, I MUST SAY A MUCH DESERVED THANKYOU FOR YOU ASSISTANCE THIS PAST WEEK. AS YOU CAN ALL SEE, WE HAVE MADE A REMARKABLE FEAT AND OUR COMMAND CENTER IS SOMETHING THAT WILL TRULY BE PREPARED FOR ALL OUR FUTURE BATTLES WITH RITA."

Billy nodded as his mentor spoke, a great sense of pride sitting on his face. He could tell from the looks from each of his teammates that everyone had had an amazing experience, even if the enlightening aspects were in different corners.

Alpha 5 turned towards Billy, and reached his metal hands to grab hold of his. Billy was surprised by the gesture, but didn't pull back.

"I must say well done, Billy. The work you have done on our scanners and security mechanisms has bolstered our defense systems in a way I never really quite imagined," the robot stated, a tinge of sentimentality in his tone.

"Thanks Alpha," Billy told the android. Robot or not, the blue ranger had relished the time spent working with him and he cherished the opportunity to spend time with someone as interesting in gadgetry as he was.

Billy quickly shared a private glance with Kimberly, allowing his own eyes to secretly thank her for her assistance that week.

"So Zordon- are you gonna be able to sleep without us here?" Zack asked the sage light-heartedly.

Zordon smiled slightly. "INDEED, ZACHARY, IT SHALL TAKE TIME TO BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO LIFE WITHOUT FIVE TEENAGERS SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR OF MY CHAMBER," he said.

Zack cocked his head and Kimberly let out a hoot. "Zordon, we had no idea you had a sense of humor!" she exclaimed with a smile.

Alpha 5 finally stepped away from Billy, raising his hands quickly as if to get everyone's attention. "Home boys and Home girls; I was wondering if I could keep some of the tunes that you brought with you?" the robot asked and they all laughed.

Zack nodded his head and passed some of the cassettes to him. "Here Alpha, you'll like these…just promise me that if you plan to try and bust some moves to the tunes, that you'll warn Zordon before hand…we don't want any accidents happening."

They all laughed, Billy unable to contain a burst of amusement himself at the black ranger's joke. It was clear that the seven days together had brought the teenagers much closer to their mentor and assistant in ways they hadn't expected. Even if only a momentary distraction, it was needed as they adjusted from being the universe's newest superheroes' to a policing force that was finally starting to feel settled.

They knew what they were doing now. Asides from the momentary lapse to their pre-ranger reactions to dangerous situations, they had proven they had what it took. Now that they had a headquarters that only strengthened their stance, Billy knew that he'd return home from their week away a changed boy.

And as they gathered their belongings, the blue ranger watched his friends as they chattered to each other, the conversation freely between them. Zack seemed happy like always, while Trini had an un-disguisable glimmer in her eyes, her own pride so clear in the way she spoke about their week together. Billy was grateful for the talks he'd shared with the yellow ranger; how she had helped him see his life wasn't as straight forward as he'd always believed it to be.

As Billy finished attempting to get his sleeping blanket back into its bag, he watched from a distance, as Jason and Kimberly talked quietly to each other. Billy also had the pink ranger to thank, but despite their growing friendship, he was unsurprised that her attention had returned to the red ranger now. His two brunette friends were helping the each other with their bags and Billy noted that there didn't seem to be any awkwardness between them. Billy never liked rumors much, but he gathered from the spark that Kimberly still directed to Jason, that the gossip hadn't climbed into the open.

_Zack, you were mistaken, _Billy thought to himself. _I don't think Jason's the one who is falling for Kimberly…I downloaded her thoughts- I know that Kimberly wishes for Jason's attention…_

He caught Kimberly's attention and he smiled gently. He wouldn't say anything to anybody. Just as Kimberly had done for him, Billy would keep her thoughts to himself.

"Come on guys, lets go home," Jason announced as they all said farewells to Zordon and Alpha as though they knew that things would never be the same again.

---

**Coming up Next in Episode 14 "Hidden Agenda": **_Zack gets news that is cause for celebration, but his happiness is bittersweet when the reality of Rita's attacks puts strain on his family life. Jason also gets news that is cause for celebration- and a familiar name is mentioned to his surprise._

_ A/N- This was a very character driven episode. I guess you can see it as a collection of conversations, bounded together. I wanted to show that they all have feelings and thoughts- and assume how their friends feel. But, usually they get it wrong. For example, Trini feeling that her friendship with Billy can't match the one between him and Kim- when Billy feels that he values Trini's friendship above all others because she has always been his friend, and no outside experiences were the cause. Despite the opportunity, Jason and Kim came no closer to working out the 'complicated' status of their relationship. Once again, another situation where friends assume and guess feelings. The addition of a new wing to the Command Center was a random idea of mine and fairly realistic, I think, given the technology they had. Anyway, sorry the chapter was long…the next chapter will mention another familiar name…can you guess who?_


	15. Ep14: Hidden Agenda

**R&R: REBIRTH OF THE LEGACY **

By Chanelle Summer

**Hidden Agenda - Episode 15**

_Zack gets news that is cause for celebration, but his happiness is bittersweet when the reality of Rita's attacks puts strain on his family life. Jason also gets news that is cause for celebration- and a familiar name is mentioned to his surprise._**..  
**

**

* * *

**

**_Monday 6th March, 1994_**

**_Taylor Residence_ **

"Zacky, look at my drawing!"

"Mom! Debbie won't give my pencils back!"

"Zack, LOOK!"

"MOM!"

Zack groaned, putting the game machine controller on the ground as he spun around to face his two squabbling sisters. "Will you two knock it off? I was just about to kung-fu Jason's behind-."

"Snooze, you loose, Zack-man," Jason chuckled, and Zack groaned as he realized Jason had won the game they were playing on the black ranger's Sega Mega drive.

Zack turned and playfully scowled at his two sisters. His youngest sibling took his expression seriously and her large eyes welled into pools of tears.

"Aw, come on, Deb- I was just mucking around," Zack quickly apologized. "Quit crying and show me your drawing."

His final comment instantly dried the little girl's tears, and she quickly trudged over and dropped in his lap. He glanced over the childish piece of art, the subject so carefully drawn that Zack was momentarily rendered speechless by it.

"Cool drawing," Jason told Debbie.

"Do you know what it is?" she quizzed.

Zack decided to play along. "No…no, I don't – what is it?"

Again, her dark eyes lit up. "It's the power rangers," she explained seriously. "They're beating up the bad guys."

"Hey, where's the black one?" Zack asked.

"Oh, I didn't have a black pencil, so I made a purple one instead."

Jason sniggered and Zack punched him on the leg. "Ow!" the red ranger mock cried, before faltering into a grin. "I was just gonna say that purple would suit him- Ow!" Zack punched him again.

"Mom! I'm hungry! When's dinner?" Janet called out from behind them. The eight year old sighed. "Zack, where's mom?"

"I dunno, Janet; she's probably busy."

Zack looked up as their mother walked into the cluttered living area, and Debbie leapt off her brother to crush the older woman in a hug.

"Hey, baby, let momma sit down for a minute; there's something I wanna tell you kids," Leticia Taylor announced.

"If this is about the broken cup in the kitchen, it wasn't me- it was Debbie and Zack and Jason saw her-."

"Janet, this isn't about the cup. This is something more important. Come and sit on my knee, Deb. Today your daddy and I got some exciting news…"

* * *

"She's pregnant!" 

"What?" Kimberly gasped, as she leant over and slapped him on the arm in disbelief. "No way!"

But the grin on Zack's face was enough to confirm his exciting news. Jason, of course, knew he was telling the truth, being he had been there when Mrs. Taylor made her announcement, just the hour beforehand. It was no secret that the black ranger loved kids, and he seemed the most excited out of all the Taylors about the unexpected addition.

"So, wait- that'll make you like sixteen years older than her-."

"Him," Zack corrected Kimberly's presumptuous statement with one of his own. "I have a feeling I'm gonna get a brother- finally."

Jason smiled. "And what if it's a girl? That'll make it sister number four."

Zack shrugged and then flashed another grin. "Nuh, I just know it's gonna be a boy. I mean, I may have to move out otherwise. Girls drive me nuts."

Kimberly snorted. "Maybe I can move in and you can move in here…I love babies," she cooed, a dreamy look floating across her face.

Zack laughed and playfully hugged the pink ranger with one arm. "Sounds like a plan," he told her, before he stood up and walked towards Jason's bedroom door. "Anyway, I'll see you two tomorrow, my dad wants us all to have dinner together tonight."

"Bye," Kimberly waved, as their friend disappeared around the corner.

"Wow, he seems really excited," she observed as she flopped down on the beanbag on the ground.

"I'd be freaking out," Jason stated, widening his eyes in mock horror to further his point.

Kimberly giggled. "Yeah, well I don't think your mom wants another baby, so you don't have anything to worry about."

Jason noticed the brunette seemed to be grinning like a Cheshire cat. "What you get up to this arvo?" he asked her curiously. He had initially thought her grinning was due to the excitement of Zack's news, but Jason sensed there was something more sinister behind her overly cheery exterior.

"Not much," she purred. Her eyes were dancing though, and he could tell she was keeping something from him.

"Nuh, what is it?" he pressured her, sitting up on his bed to look directly at her.

She bit her lip. He almost instantly noticed her fingers clenched around something small and he realized quickly that she was trying to hide something from him. He didn't know what it was, but he was going to find out.

Jason knew Kimberly had quick reflexes, but he was lucky she hadn't been expecting him as he quickly leapt on top of her. She didn't fight back at first, but as he trapped her beneath him quite successfully and began for her hands, she tried her best to jam her clenched fists under her back.

He had the upper hand in terms of strength, and quickly pried her hand from its protection. "Give it up, Kim," he grunted, as she refused to lessen her grip around the papery item.

"Ooh, big strong leader; you might need your power sword for this one," Kimberly teased back, before bursting into giggles as he proceeded to tickle her.

She let out a little yelp, before the bedroom door swung open and his mother appeared at the door with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you two doing?" she asked.

Jason took the interruption as an opportunity to snatch the envelope from Kimberly and he quickly sat on the end of his bed. His eyes quickly read over the sender's name:

_The United Stated Martial Arts Association… _

"Come on. Open it," Kimberly begged him, her eyes widened in shared anticipation.

Jason remained silent as he ripped the envelope open and cast his eyes excitedly over the words that he'd been waiting to receive for so long.

"Well?"

He looked at Kimberly, almost unable to speak the words. "I-I." He cleared his throat. "I got selected to participate in the championship this month-."

Jason didn't get a chance to finish before he had Kimberly's arms' strangling the life out of him. Washed away in his own thoughts, he hugged her back, not even flinching as she continued to scream for joy in his ear.

* * *

**_Tuesday 7th March, 1994_**

"Oh my Gosh: we totally have to do something to celebrate," Kimberly rambled, as the five rangers strolled into the Youth Center the following afternoon after school.

Being her usual unpredictable self, Rita had sent a huddle of putties on their walk and the rangers' victory left them desperate for some cool refreshment. They all gratefully slumped in a chair around their usual table overlooking the workout mats, before Trini voiced her agreement to Kimberly's suggestion.

"You know, we should have a party," she suggested and Kimberly nodded.

"Sounds like a plan, ladies," Zack agreed. "I'll ask my mom if we can have one on the weekend."

They all looked up as Ernie approached the group. A big grin beamed off his chubby face, and he lightly patted Jason on the shoulder. "Hey guys, I heard about the big news, Jason. I knew you'd get selected."

Jason had been grinning about his news all day, but as always, offered a slight shrug at the sound of a compliment. "Thanks Ernie. Hopefully I'll be ready. It'll be great to just give it a go."

Zack shook his head at his friend's modesty. "Jase, you're a chance to win…stop talking like you don't have a chance."

"Totally," Kimberly added. "We know you can do it."

"Well, feel free to come and practice when you need to," Ernie offered. "If your parents allow it, you can even use the gym after hours as well."

Jason nodded, not at all surprised by the generosity of the juice bar owner. The middle-aged man was one of the nicest people the red ranger had ever met in his life, and was definitely the type that would do anything for the youths. "Thanks, I'll ask them tonight," Jason promised him.

"You kids want the usual smoothies and pretzels?"

They all nodded feverishly, before returning to excited chatter about the martial arts championship.

"So, we've got only two weeks to get ready, so we should probably be practicing every day until then," Zack suggested. Trini, Kimberly and Billy nodded in agreement.

"Uh, guys, last time I checked it was only me competing…"

"That's true, but we're a team," Trini told him.

"Exactly," Kimberly agreed. "I mean, you'll need help from all of us. Zack and Trini will be able to help you with your moves, Billy will help with your timing and I'll help with wardrobe."

Jason laughed. "That sounds like a plan."

"Why, hello you five," Mrs. Appleby greeted them, as she approached their table.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Appleby." Billy returned a friendly greeting. Out of the teachers at their school, Mrs. Appleby was by far everybody's favorite. She had an approach to her students that made them feel like she genuinely enjoyed what she did as a job.

"What brings you to the Youth Center?" Zack asked her.

The multi-subject teacher seemed to light up, as it so frequently did whenever the older woman was planning something exciting. "Oh, I'm here to start organizing plans for the school play in May. This looks like the perfect location!" she beamed, her eyes drifting over the complex, before she looked back at her students. "By the way Jason, I heard about your selection for the National Martial Arts Championships. Congratulations; that is a phenomenal achievement."

"Thanks," Jason said, slightly taken aback by everybody's genuine excitement for him.

"That reminds me. We have a new student starting in three weeks. He's moving here from Los Angeles. I thought you would all volunteer to help him settle in, I believe he has a substantial interest in martial arts."

They all shared an interested glance. "Sounds awesome," Jason said. "What's his name?"

The teacher's face twisted in an expression of deep thought, before she began leafing through the pages in her arms.

"Thomas Oliver," she finally revealed.

Jason's eyes' widened. "Are you serious?" he asked, ignoring the looks of confusion from his friends.

"Tommy Oliver is my biggest competition at the championships this year," he explained, still in disbelief. "He's the reigning champion."

* * *

Zack was the first to leave the Youth Center that afternoon, remembering he had promised to help his father with some work at home. Had he had the choice, Zack definitely would have preferred to stay hanging with his friends, but the last thing he wanted to do was give his mother an excuse to get upset at him. God knows, he had endured the speech about him needing to be more responsible now he had a new sibling on the way more times then he cared for. 

It was much quieter than usual when he arrived home. He instantly wondered why he couldn't hear the television going at full volume or his sisters' squabbling over something trivial. It was impossible for anyone to become lonely at the Taylor residence- it was full of life twenty-four hours a day.

Zack closed the front door behind him and headed into the living room. His twelve-year-old sister Darlene was sitting on the couch and put a stricken finger to her lips as she saw him.

"Be quiet, Zack. Mom's having a rest in bed," she whispered to him.

He lowered his backpack quietly on the ground. "Where are Janet and Deb?"

"Dad took them to Nana's for the night so they wouldn't annoy mom."

Zack sat down on the couch beside her and turned the volume up to the television a little.

"Where were you anyway? I heard dad say something to mom about how you and I have to give up our privileges or something. He told me that they won't be able to afford my next semester fees for dancing."

Zack looked at his younger sister, his stomach suddenly tightening into several defined knots. He knew their family was now suffering from financial hardship, but he never stopped to think about how it would affect his own life. He couldn't even begin to contemplate how he would feel if he had to give up his karate lessons and other extra-curricular activities.

"I told dad that I don't mind, because I can use my savings. I have over two-hundred dollars saved in my money box," she continued, clearly oblivious to Zack's sudden change in demeanor.

"Yeah, well I don't got no savings left," Zack revealed, a little deflated.

Darlene brought her knee up to her chest and gave him a sly smile. "You been buying your girlfriend too many presents," she teased him as she leant towards him and made 'kissy' noises.

Zack pushed her away, before he quickly jumped up as he heard the phone ring. He answered it swiftly in the adjoining kitchen, hoping that the sudden noise hadn't disturbed his mother.

"Hello, Zack speaking."

"Hi Zack, glad I caught you at home," Angela's voice purred from the other side.

Zack's mood instantly inflated at the sound of her voice. "Hey Angela, how you been?"

"Fine, fine. So, I was just calling about our date on Friday…I was wondering if you wanted to take me out for dinner before the movie? That new restaurant is opening next door and apparently they're going to have great food."

And like that, Zack's mood plummeted to an all-time low. It was bad enough with all the hype that he'd forgotten about his date with Angela, but now she was suggesting dinner. There was no way he could afford that, and at a time where he felt they were slowing recovering after the ill-fated Winter Ball, Zack knew such a revelation would not impress his affluent girlfriend.

"Uh, baby, about Friday…I'm not gonna be able to make it…"

A sigh. "Why not?"

"Because…I have to help Jason with his championship preparation," Zack lied. "You know what a big deal it is."

She sighed again and Zack instantly wanted to take his words back.

"Fine…that's fine. I have to go, I'll see you tomorrow."

She hung up before he could recover. Zack stared at the phone in his hand for a moment, before he returned it to its cradle.

"You all right, Zack?" his father spoke up from behind him.

Zack nodded dispiritedly. "Yeah, dad, I'm cool."

"You know, son, if you want to take that girlfriend of yours out on Friday, I don't mind."

"Nuh, dad. It's okay…I know we don't have the money."

His father sat down on one of the chairs around the dining table and rubbed his eyes. He always looked tired to Zack lately. If only the black ranger could tell his father he understood.

"I'm gonna keep looking for work," his father murmured, as though they were in the middle of the conversation. "I'm thinking of even maybe getting into construction…Lord knows, that's the only work available in Angel Grove right now…it's just not the time or place for a forty-year old paper mill worker to find a job."

Zack wasn't sure how to respond. He was feeling guilty. Thoughts circled around his mind, teasing him that had the rangers been able to save the city more, than his father would now be able to find a job and all their problems would be solved.

His father looked up and a closed-lip smile took over his slightly chubby face. "We'll get through it, son. All it'll take is a bit of old fashioned sacrifice."

Zack nodded and said goodnight. His father's last sentence continued to repeat in his mind as he went up stairs and sat in his room with nothing but the radio softly playing. The radio host was making his usual round of jokes, but Zack didn't even have it in him to laugh or respond like he normally would.

As the last humorous skit finished, however, a sudden advertisement did catch his attention. As he scrambled closer to the speakers, Zack suddenly had an idea.

* * *

**_Wednesday 8th March, 1994_**

Jason had a habit of pushing boundaries when he fully focused on one thing. He liked to think it was due to his ten years dedicated to martial arts and the fact that his sensei's had always taught him to focus. It was a simple concept: Center the mind on the task at hand and you can only perform your best, because you are putting everything you have into it.

There were downsides and exceptions, however. The red ranger sometimes struggled to get his mind off the particular task to resume his everyday life. Other times, he found himself pushing boundaries without realizing it. In a matter of forty-eight hours his mind had become saturated in thoughts of championship glory and it was doing strange things to him.

"Whoa, Jase!"

Jason stopped his punch mid-way and fell forwards slightly, his eyes suddenly focusing on Kimberly. She was on her knees for some reason, hiding behind the leather-clad punching bag as though it was a shield.

Jason couldn't speak, and tried to swallow the bursts of hot and heavy breaths that were escaping from his pursed lips. Kimberly stood up slowly and raised an eyebrow, before she pushed on the bag and sent it lightly crashing into him.

"Watch where you're punching there, champ. You're totally going to get me in the head one of these days," she muttered.

"Sorry…" The sound barely came out and she looked at him a little alarmed.

Billy moved from the bench he'd been counting Jason's movements at and stopped beside the pink ranger. He handed Jason a towel, and the red ranger gratefully buried his head in the fluffy material as though it could absorb his aching body. He knew he had pushed his body past its threshold.

"Jason, you might want to focus a little more on your technique," Billy finally spoke up as Jason lowered the towel from his face.

Jason sighed slightly, and tried not to frown. "Focus? I don't think I could be focusing anymore than I am," he told the blue ranger a little annoyed.

Billy clearly picked up on the bitterness in Jason's comment, but didn't pull back. "When I said focus, I was referring to you focusing on the present. It's clear that your mind is focusing on perhaps the impending championship, as opposed to your current training."

Jason listened to his intelligent friend's words' as he made his way to the bench beside the workout mats. He was too tired to try and dissect Billy's observations standing up. Kimberly nabbed his drink bottle before he had a chance and took a sip from it first, as though to tease him.

Jason sighed. "Zack's late," he observed, only then realizing why he was in a particularly strained mood that afternoon.

"He'll be here…he's probably with Angela," Kimberly commented.

At that moment, Jason noticed his friend in question approach the three teenagers and he instantly relaxed a little. Zack had always trained by Jason's side and he needed that stability now more than ever.

"Sorry I'm late, man," Zack commented, as he patted Jason on the shoulder.

Jason offered his best friend a smile. "That's okay. You gonna change?" He noticed Zack was wearing a neat pair of dress pants and a collared shirt.

Zack pursed his lips a little, his eyes squinting with clear dread. "Jase, I'm sorry bro…I gotta go, I've got this stuff to do…really important. It's for my folks, you know…"

Jason concealed his disappointment with a tight smile. "Not a problem…just tell me you're not gonna bail on me every day these couple of weeks…"

Zack shook his head. "I promise you, from tomorrow I'll be here…anyway, I'll catch you guys later-."

"Oh, Zack," Kimberly shot a hand out to stop the black ranger. "You haven't signed up for the summer camp yet…I finished paying my second installment today and Ernie said you haven't even signed up yet."

Jason watched, as Zack seemed to avoid looking at every spot, bar his three friends. "Uh, yeah…I don't know about the whole camp thing, I mean-."

"Aw, come on Zack," Kimberly pressured.

Jason was also taken aback by Zack's words'. The group of rangers had planned to go to a three weeklong summer camp for almost the past four months, and he knew that the black ranger had been especially enthused by the concept. It wasn't in Zack's nature to lose interest, especially when it involved socializing and having a good time.

"Yeah Zack, it wouldn't be the same without you, man," Jason added.

Zack pursed his lips. He nodded a little, as if to agree. "I'll see you guys tomorrow," was all he said, before he turned and disappeared through the nearest exit.

Jason leaned his head against the wall and glanced at Billy who had a clear look of concern on his face.

"If I am correct, it seems that Zack has been in a particularly distant mood today," the blue ranger shared his observations.

Kimberly nodded, leaning forward from where she sat beside Jason. "I know, I mean Zack loves to have fun…he was talking about maybe even running some dance classes at the camp and everything. I wonder why he's so bummed?"

"It's been a big week…he's probably just flat out with helping his parents," Jason reasoned out loud and Billy and Kimberly nodded half-heartedly.

Kimberly stood up, and removed her light pink cardigan, exposing a pastel-patterned leotard underneath. "Well, I better get to gym class," she announced. "Don't stop practicing, just because I'm gone," she added, eyeing Jason with an encouraging glance.

Jason nodded feebly and said goodbye, before he focused his attention once again on the punching bag in front of him. He strapped the padded gloves onto his tired hands and stood in his starting position, a figure in the far corner of his eye pulling him back.

"Hey Angela," Jason greeted his friend's girlfriend with a slight wave. Not wanting to be rude, he removed the gloves from his hands and stepped towards her.

"I was actually looking for Zack," the pretty African-American girl explained, her voice void of nearly all friendliness.

Jason tried to not take offence to her tone and shook his head. "He's not here…he said he had some important stuff to get done," he told her.

Angela's eyes' seemed darken at his comment, and her gaze swept across the Youth Center as though she didn't quite believe him. She finally rested her face in Jason's direction, flicking her lose locks over her shoulder.

"I just assumed he would be here…he told me he was helping you practice this week…he cancelled our date to the movies on Friday because he said he would be too busy helping you." Every time she said the word 'you', it was said with such bitterness that Jason couldn't help but narrow his gaze at her.

"Well, like I said, he's not here. Maybe you should try him at home?" he suggested, valiantly concealing his displeasure at her obvious insinuations.

She nodded her head, her eyes lowering a little and Jason suddenly felt bad. He knew that Angela and Zack had been through some patchy times and despite the red ranger not appreciating the way she had spoken to him before hand, Jason didn't want Angela to leave upset.

"Hey," he said, reaching out to gently grab her arm. He released it carefully as she turned to look at him, and he shrugged as though to lighten the mood. "If you like, I'll call you and tell you if he comes back here," Jason promised her.

Angela smiled tightly and nodded. "Thanks."

* * *

Zack left the awkwardness that seemed to be sweltering back at the Youth Center, and made his way into the city on foot. Knowing that he had only enough change to catch the bus home, he knew he had no option but to slog out the thirty-minute walk in his best outfit and shoes. 

Not that he minded, really. It was surprising what fear could do as a motivator. Zack wouldn't say he was particularly scared by how his life was turning out that week, but he certainly never wanted it to reach the stage where he _was_ afraid. He knew he had an opportunity to fix things before they got any worse and that was enough to fuel his stride through the tranquil streets and parklands.

As he crossed one to the major intersections, he started to get nervous. He was glad that he was feeling anxious, because he knew that would give him a better shot at being successful. His father had always tried to tell him that being nervous before any type of performance or interview was a good thing, because it made you work hard for it.

He just wished the butterflies would stop looping around each other in his stomach.

Zack knew from a day trip in the eighth grade that the headquarters for the Angel Grove Gazette were just opposite the large fountain display at the center of the city square. The ten-story building was his destination that day and was hopefully where he'd be offered his first after school job. He played the radio advertisement in his mind over and over and he knew he had what it took. He didn't know much about interviews, though, but that wouldn't stop him.

Zack's stride came to a stop as he felt his left foot begin to protest and he leaned over to stretch his back out. Grateful that the empty path was lined with benches, he decided he had time to stop, when like a flick of a switch, a group of eight or so putties had him surrounded.

He groaned and instantly thought of his clothes. His mother would go berserk at him if she knew he was wearing his best outfit that day, and she'd definitely kill him if he got it dirty.

"Bring it on," he coaxed the mindless warriors, as he quickly pushed the sleeves of his shirt up and motioned to them to strike first.

He swiftly ducked under its extended arm, and jumped about to the next. His movements came easier nowadays, and there was not an ounce of hesitation as he faced each putty after the other. Often he'd find himself moving to a song in his mind. He let each step and strike correspond with every beat, and before he realized it, he had taken each of them out.

Zack glanced around as he was left alone, wary of the fact that Rita might send more of them down to face the lone ranger. He half expected Zordon to contact him, but was glad when he didn't, as he looked down at his watch and realized the time.

"Oh, man. I'm gonna be way late!" he stammered, before he broke into a sprint.

Zack had always been a fast runner. At grade school, he'd always won every race on athletics day and since he began High school, he'd proven to many of the other contenders in his class that he was still a force to be reckoned with. It wasn't something he consciously practiced, but when he needed to get anywhere quickly, he knew he could depend on his legs to get him there fast.

He arrived at the destination of the meeting only a few minutes later than desired, and he took a seat towards the back of the small huddle of hopefuls. He smiled polity at a few of them, but nobody seemed keen to return his courteous gesture. Zack couldn't understand why everyone in the world today seemed to be so damn competitive about everything.

"Well, well, well, would you look at who we have here…"

Zack looked up and groaned under his breath as Bulk stopped beside his chair. Skull was leaning onto his best friend's shoulder, and grinned down at the black ranger.

"Uh, guys…this is a serious place, for serious people…" Zack whispered, hoping they would leave him alone. "If you guys are lost, you're best to head to Swift Street, because that's where they moved the pound to."

Bulk glared at him and abruptly lowered his face so it was only a few inches from Zack's. "Listen dancing queen- we're here, because we know we've got just what the editor is looking for. They want someone who will make a serious junior reporter, someone who's gonna get all the news! I have been carefully following the whereabouts of the Power Heroes for weeks now and the editor already seems pleased by my work, doesn't he Skull?"

Skull nodded, wriggling his eyebrows up and down. "Sure does, Bulk," he agreed without an ounce of thought.

Zack tried not to roll his eyes. "Yeah, well, there's more to report in Angel Grove than just the power _rangers_," he told them.

Before the two goons could respond, the editor stepped up in front of the group and greeted them all. Zack straightened himself in his chair and tried to show the man that he was focused and willing. He gave a standard speech, outlining the job objectives, before he quickly outlined his personal expectations from the person who would secure the role:

"The junior reporter will be responsible for reporting each week to the young citizens of this great city. I want to see passion, excitement…I want to read what is really affecting the young people of Angel Grove!"

Zack sighed as candidate after candidate raised their hands and asked the older man every question under the sun about whether or not they could report on the power rangers, and if so, could they have access to specialized equipment and more.

_I can't do a paper on the power rangers, _Zack thought to himself, struggling with his own conscious. _That wouldn't be fair…it would be cheating. But, I have inside knowledge and I'd know more about it than anyone else here…it might be my chance to impress this guy and get the job…_

_

* * *

_

**_Thursday 9th March, 1994_**

_**Angel Grove Park**_

_Pound, puff, pound, puff. _

Jason's head seemed to shudder as each step pounded into the sidewalk. He was barely sprinting, but his feet were heavy and he felt as though his running shoes were starting to hammer through the concrete below.

He ran an aimless hand over his forehead and adjusted his red sweatband as Zack reached his side.

"Slow down, man," Zack panted, still managing a grin despite their exhaustion.

Jason shook his head. Game or not, fun or not, he wasn't going to give in.

He continued around the bend in the distance and glanced down at his watch. They'd made good time.

The success was enough to get him to slow, and he let his legs become lazy as he half stumbled to a stop. He leaned over and touched his toes, feeling the stretch in his calves, before he straightened back up and rested his hands on his hips.

Zack stopped not too far behind him, and swung around, reaching his hands to his mouth to project his voice. "Come on Billy; no time to waste, bro!" the black ranger called out to their friend in blue who had lagged at least a hundred yards behind them.

Jason gave Zack a high five and they offered Billy a grin of encouragement as he steadily approached them.

"You know, fellas, you would actually gain a further distance if you steadied yourselves," the blue ranger told them seriously.

Zack slapped him playfully on the arm. "It's all right, my main brain- you need no excuse from running like a girl!" he told him light-heartedly.

Jason managed a half-laugh, before he raised a lazy hand in Zack's direction. "What about you, Zack? Even I beat you today…" he observed.

Zack shrugged, before he rolled his shoulders around. "I let you win, Jase," he told him and Jason nodded sarcastically.

"Well, how about you try and see if you can out run me!" A loud and mechanical voice suddenly boomed from behind them.

Jason swung around and lowered himself, his tired eyes resting on a large, metal laden creature. Its four limbs were covered in stereotypical armor. Its head was completely covered by an enclosed tin helmet, red piercing eyes the only facial parts visible.

"And who might you be?" Jason asked him, as Zack and Billy stepped up beside him.

The creature reached to its side and removed a long, glistening blade from its belt. The movement of the oversized weapon made a loud slicing noise though the air, and Jason gulped down his nerves.

"I don't think he's in the talking mood," Zack muttered sarcastically.

"Guess it's Morphin time!" Jason called out. "Tyrannosaurus!"

"Mastodon!" Zack summoned.

"Triceratops!" Billy declared.

The three male rangers instantly transformed succinctly and as always, Jason had to wait a good moment afterwards while his body adapted to the power surge. He felt every muscle in every limb fortify, like an injection of pure steel had been shot into his veins.

"Zordon, come in," Jason spoke into his communicator. "We've got trouble."

"YES, JASON, I AM AWARE OF THE SITUATION. ALPHA IS CONTACTING THE GIRLS NOW AND THEY WILL MEET YOU THERE AS SOON AS THEY CAN."

"Time to take out the trashcan!" Zack jibbed, giving Billy a high five.

Jason removed his power sword from his belt and began forwards, ignoring the initial protest from his over-worked muscles. He sliced the thick blade towards their opponent, but was counterattacked as the creature mimicked his attack. Jason felt the strength in his knees build as he bent under the pressure of holding the warrior monster back.

He counted in his head, and then swiftly pulled back. Zack came in at the right time and swung his own powerful weapon towards the creature from its side. The creature simultaneously pulled a smaller blade from its other side and jabbed it towards Zack. The black ranger fell backwards and Jason repositioned himself to re-enter the battle.

Billy was in the middle of a combination attack with his power lance, when Jason joined from the other side. The monster seemed very talented as performing a separate sword fight with each of its arms, but Jason didn't hold back. Three onto one had to be the better odds.

Jason was eventually sliced sharply across the chest, and the surprise momentum sent him flying backwards. He re-gathered himself in time to see a pair of yellow daggers fly above his head, the twin blades causing enough of a surprise to send the warrior momentarily back.

_Now it's really Showtime, _Jason thought to himself with relief as he realized their odds had just greatly improved.

* * *

Bulk couldn't believe his eyes. 

He knew that somehow, somewhere, that he and Skull would stumble upon the object of their desires, but the bully had no idea that it would happen so easily.

As he spotted the multi-colored superheroes in the distance, he had instantly dropped behind a nearby hedge tree. Yanking his best friend down beside him, both boys had watched with disbelief, admiration and fear as the power rangers engaged in battle with some kind of creepy monster.

"Uh, Bulk…"

"Shh," Bulk hissed at his friend. He wasn't remotely interested in hearing anything his skinny friend had to say at that moment- he was doing research, after all.

"Bulk, don't you think we should-"

"WHAT?" Bulk snapped, snapping his head to glare at Skull.

Skull puckered his lips and then raised the object in his hands. The camcorder still had its lens cover on the end and Bulk groaned. He snatched the camera from Skull's quivering hands' and jabbed it though the thin foliage that was their only shield.

"Uh, Bulk, you forgot to take the cover off…"

Bulk clenched his teeth, and angrily tore the camera back out of the bush, before he abruptly pulled the cover off and repositioned it to film.

"Are you getting them?" Skull asked him.

Bulk groaned again. "Of course I'm getting them, Skull. I'm a natural with the camera," he stated with self-confidence, before he returned his attention to the battle up ahead.

"Would you look at those weapons…" Bulk murmured aimlessly.

Skull straightened himself up beside him and nodded his head eagerly. "Check out the cute one in pink…hey, do you think she'd remember me from last time?"

Bulk rolled his eyes, not bothering to glance in his friend's direction. "I doubt it…she'd probably remember me, though, because of my speech on TV…"

Their conversation dropped out as they became once again, mesmerized by the unfolding battle. Each ranger was magnificent in their own way- their fighting skills were unique, yet they worked continuously in pairs and as a team.

Bulk was especially impressed by the pink ranger. He had no idea that girls could have such a fighting ability.

_I gotta find me a babe like that-._

"You reckon we can get closer?" Skull suddenly wondered.

Bulk was about to respond when the pink ranger let out a yelp, her petite form flying through the air. Her feet whipped quickly beneath her, before she lost her balance and fell awkwardly. Skull's breathing quickened beside him, as the one in red started for her, calling out to her in a strong, yet muffled voice.

"What'd he just say?" Bulk immediately asked Skull.

Skull was still breathing loudly and Bulk slammed a firm palm on his back, before he scowled. His friend shrugged. "I-I don't know…" he admitted timidly. "I think he yelled out Kendafey or something."

"Quick, write it down on our note book!" Bulk hissed at him. "That definitely sounds alien and is exactly the sort of information that's gonna win me this job!"

Skull nodded his head quickly, before he proceeded to scribble their findings as requested. His writing was messy and awkwardly spaced, but his pen slid even more off course when a sudden scream from above startled them both.

"Holy crap!" Bulk murmured, grabbing onto his best friend from the front of his shirt.

The large, sleek mechanical flying machine continued to soar above them, and Bulk was too captivated that he didn't even care that their camera had fallen to the ground.

* * *

"_Witnesses report that the pink power ranger was struck down, prior to their sucessful victory using their fighting robots. The red ranger, who we believe is the leader of the policing force, reportedly hurried to the fallen ranger's side, referring to them as 'Kendafey'…"_

Zack sniggered as the news report on the television continued. With each battle they won, the media response seemed to be growing into a celebrity-like gossip column. After their first battle, the citizens of Angel Grove swore the rangers were a group of aliens, but by the third, rumors began to circulate that they may have been a group of vigilantes, instead.

Now, everyone was back to believing in the alien theory.

_We're gonna have to stop calling each other by name, _Zack thought to himself, as he did his best to return to the task at hand. The battle with Rita's giant armored warrior had already eaten at his afternoon, and he was running out of time to finish his paper submission for the junior reporter's job.

He still hadn't told anyone about the job application. Part of him wanted to tell Jason at least, but at the same time he didn't want to mention it to anyone unless he actually got the job. Besides, he could only imagine the lengths his teammates would go to, to remind him that he didn't have the time to hold a job at the paper _and _as a power ranger.

"Zack?"

Zack looked up from his desk and quickly slammed the folder he was writing in closed.

"Uh, hey…Angela…"

She smiled a little at him, but remained in his open doorway. "Your dad told me you were up here doing homework."

Zack nodded. "Yeah, I've been so busy lately that I didn't want to fall behind, you know?"

"So, I…I just wanted to come past and say I'm really sorry for the way I acted on the phone the other night. I was totally out of line and I'm sorry," she walked into his bedroom, and sat on the edge of his bed. "I know how much Jason and your friends mean to you."

Zack sighed a little as she looked down. What Angela was saying was true- his four closest friends were probably the most important factor in his life at that moment, but it wasn't for the reasons that Angela or his parents thought.

"Ange, it's not like that," he finally told her.

She ran her hands over her skirt, her perfectly manicured nails glistening under the beam of his light. "You're always off doing things…all these things with them, rather than spending time with me. When you date someone, the whole point of it is to go on dates with that person."

Zack turned and flicked his television off, before he turned back to face his girlfriend. It was times like these when he wondered if even trying to date Angela Whitman was worth it- he would try to impress her, and it would backfire; he would give her space, and that just backfired, too.

"Anyway, if you don't like me, you only had to tell me-."

"Whoa, Ange-." He cut her off. "It's not like that…" he sighed. "Look, it's like this, alright? You know I told you about my mom having another baby and stuff. Well, my mom and dad aren't making enough money at the moment, because my dad had his hours cut back at the paper mill…"

Zack's sentence trailed off. He was embarrassed, but courageously continued. "That's why I said I couldn't take you to the movies tomorrow…and, that's why I've been busy this week. I'm applying for a job at the Gazette, so I'll be able to earn some money to pay for my karate and dance lessons, _and _so you and I can go and do stuff together."

Angela blinked at him, as though in shock. She let out a breath. "You're getting a job? Wow, Zack, that's so…responsible of you…" she said with genuine admiration in her tone.

Zack shrugged it off a little. "You're the only one I've told…not even Jason knows…"

He got off the chair and kneeled in front of her, leaning his face toward hers. She responded in like, and he kissed her quickly, but smoothly. The heat in his body longed to move his hands to her body, but he restrained himself and rested them gently on her knees.

"Angela. Will you go to dinner and the movies with me tomorrow night?" he asked her.

"But Zack, you don't-."

"Nuh, it's cool, I promise you…come on- just say yes."

That beautiful smile lit up her large eyes, and he pulled her into a hug. It might have been a quick fix, but Zack would savor the opportunity to have his girlfriend in his arms.

* * *

**_Friday 10th March, 1994_**

The following afternoon, Zack found his feet tapping on the ground as he tried to hold onto his patience in the office at the AGG headquarters the following day. Across from him, the editor of the paper, Mr. Bostwick, sat silently reading over Zack's final paper submission for the job vacancy.

It was taking numerous, never-ending minutes. Zack attempted to read the man's expression as he read, but his face remained motionless. The wait was driving the black ranger literally crazy.

_Just think of a song in your head or something…_it was too late for him to regret what he had written. He was just grateful he got it in in time, despite the successful, but consuming battle with the armored monster the afternoon beforehand.

_Not to mention Angela's surprise visit…_he thought with an inward grin.

"Hmmm…"

That man looked up. "Hmmm…" he repeated, tapping his finger on his chin. "Zachary, or Zack, is it?"

Zack cleared his throat a little and straightened himself up. "It's Zack, sir."

"Zack…what inspired you to write this paper?" the man asked, leaning back in his office chair.

"Uh, well, I thought that the martial arts tournament was good to write about, because it shows young people that if they work hard, they can achieve anything they want. My best buddy Jason is representing Angel Grove and by helping him I've seen how much hard work it is."

"I see…you want to know something Zack?"

"What, sir?"

"You are the only person who submitted a paper that had nothing to do with the power rangers. For that fact alone, you instantly gained my attention. I was relieved to have at least something to read that wasn't about aliens or fantasies about jetting around in space ships…It was truly an eye opener to realize the scale that Rita Repulsa's advance on Angel Grove has affected our young people…"

Zack was squirming now. He was terrible at keeping his mouth shut at times. Granted, he had become much better at it since becoming the black ranger, but that didn't stop him from nearly regressing into the old blabbermouth Zack Taylor.

Zack decided to adjust his tie instead. "Actually sir, I believe there's not only the whole superhero thing, but it's the affect the attacks have had on Angel Grove as a community. Like for example, my dad has had his hours cut back at work because the paper mill was damaged in one of the attacks. He tells me that it's really hard for him to find a job."

The editor nodded, a look of serious contemplation on his face. Zack wasn't trying to use his personal situation to get the job, but it wouldn't stop him from trying to impress the editor even just a little.

Mr. Bostwick nodded, adjusting the papers on his desk. "That's a very valid point, Zack, and one which I'm sure we'll be covering many times…" he sighed. "But to get to the chase, I'm sorry to say that your paper was unsuccessful for the traineeship at this time."

_Great…I can't believe it! _

Zack did his valiant best to show he was a good sport, and offered the older man a polite smile. "That's okay…" he managed to get out.

"However-." Mr. Bostwick stopped short as he sat up abruptly. "I enjoyed your paper so much, that I would love the opportunity to publish it in this weekend's paper. You'll be paid, of course…I'll just go out to my secretary and get the relevant information for you…"

Zack watched as the editor briefly stepped out of the room, and he quietly pumped his fist to his chest. After waiting to collect the necessary forms, and once again offering his gratefulness at the opportunity, Zack headed out to the main foyer. He was singing and grinning to himself, when he collided with a solid body rushing from out of the elevator.

"Get out of the way, dweeb!" Bulk huffed at him, as papers scattered all over the floor.

Skull immediately dived to the ground. Zack was tempted to walk on, but feeling momentarily guilty, he decided to kneel down and help the punks retrieve their papers.

"What is all this, anyway?" Zack asked dubiously, as his eyes fell on scribbled diagrams and lists of incomprehensible writing.

Bulk quickly snatched the pages from Zack. "Don't even think about stealing our research, dweebster. We had an up and front view with the power rangers yesterday and we just know we're gonna impress the editor this afternoon."

Zack stifled a laugh and patted the chubby bully mockingly on the shoulder "Hey, at least you got their name right, this time…" was all he said, before he headed into the elevator and on his way home to tell his dad the good news.

* * *

Zack made the ten-minute walk to the Youth Center after dinner that night feeling satisfied and much more like himself. His stomach was full, and the bounce was literally back in his step. 

He told his father about the job interview at the Gazette, and Zack was taken aback by how proud the older man was of him. It wasn't just the typical, clichéd response, either. His father was genuinely taken aback by Zack's efforts to take responsibility for his own life. That word, 'responsibility'- Zack has a feeling it was going to become the key in his young life.

Zack admitted he still wanted to get an after school job. His father promised him that if he took that step, that he'd do what he could to make sure Zack could continue his after-school hobbies and attend the summer camp in June that year.

_"Do you think I'd be able to borrow some money so I can take Angela out tonight? I'll pay you back, of course,"_ Zack had begged his father.

His father had agreed, reinforcing their special bond by reminding him not to mention it to his mother. Zack could understand that- the change in hormones was making his mother go a little crazy as it was.

Back in the present, Zack undid the buttons of his suit jacket and waltzed into the Youth Center despite the 'closed' sign on the entrance. He could hear the laughter and chattering of his friends inside and quickened his step as he heard his best friend mention his name.

"Fear not- Zack the man is here!" the black ranger announced from the raised area of the juice bar.

Jason glanced at his friend with a wry smile. "You were gonna miss the party, man- where you been?"

Zack jumped down the stairs and shrugged playfully. "I was busy signing up for the SUMMER CAMP!" he burst out.

Kimberly clapped her hands and bounded over to hug the black ranger. He hugged her back, unable to miss the dubious look from the red ranger.

Jason shook his head. "Why are you in such a good mood tonight?"

"Let's just say, everything cruised along nicely for the first time in ages."

Kimberly stepped away from him, and motioned to his jacket with an extended finger. "What's with the suit?"

"Long story…anyway, I just wanted to drop past and say hi…"

Jason groaned. "Zack, don't bail on me again…"

Zack pursed his lips together. "I've got something important to do," he admitted. "But listen, you and me can do our thing some other time…You know you're ready, bro."

Trini stepped up beside Jason and put an arm around his shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll have Jason ready for the championship," she told Zack.

Jason folded his arms over his chest. "So tell me, Zack; what is with the hidden agenda lately? You're starting to sound like your leading a double secret life…"

Zack scoffed a little at his friend's comment. "Nothing hidden about tonight. Actually, I'm taking Angela on a date to the movies…there's this fancy-spancy restaurant next door, so we're gonna stop by and have a bite to eat before hand," he revealed enthusiastically.

_Even if I can only afford a glass of water and a bowl of fries…_

"Have fun, Zack," Kimberly and Trini both said to him in unison, while Jason made some smart-ass comment under his breath.

Zack spun around and practically jumped up the stairs, slowing down as he walked past the open door to the back of the juice bar. He watched over his back to make sure his friends weren't spying on him, before he quietly poked his head through the door.

"Oh, Zack-."

"Shh!" Zack quickly hissed at Ernie. "Quiet, I don't want the others to hear…"

"Oh…" Ernie nodded his head and moved closer to Zack. "What can I do for you?"

Zack motioned over the restaurateur's shoulder with his eyes. "I was actually wondering if you could do me a favor…you see, I'm trying to find an after school job, just a few times a week…nothing much…"

Ernie wiped his wet hands on his apron and smiled knowingly. "You any good at doing dishes?"

Zack nodded his head. "I am the man," he told Ernie with a hopeful grin.

Ernie nodded. "Okay, sure…how about you come in three times a week around close, and you can wash up for me…It would sure help me out…that is, if your parents don't mind."

Zack shook his head. "Nuh, my parents would be wrapped…thanks a heap, Ernie," the black ranger added. "Oh, and one more thing…"

"Shoot."

"If I miss some afternoons, don't freak or anything…my schedule's kinda unpredictable at the moment…" Zack grinned sheepishly, and headed off before Ernie could protest. The last thing Zack needed was another situation where he had to tell a lie about his frequent disappearing acts.

Or another excuse for missing out on a date with the girl of his dreams!

---

**Coming up Next in Episode 15 "The Missing Karate Hero: Part 1": **_The national karate championships are on in Angel Grove, but what turn of events will affect the occasion that Jason's been looking forward to? One of the rangers is kidnapped in broad daylight and discovers a sickening plan involving an innocent who has been missing for days…_

_ A/N: This was another 'character development' episode. This next chapter will be more rangery and you won't want to miss it :-) Hope you all have a great day!  
_


	16. Ep15: The Missing Karate Hero I

**REBIRTH OF THE LEGACY**

By Chanelle Summer

**The Missing Karate Hero: Part 1 - Episode 15**

A/N – G'day all, I'm updating this story on behalf of Chanelle. Because, she is unable to do it herself right now because of her long hospital stay. She gave me instructions and told me the file name. So, hopefully I got it right! Any mistakes and she'll kill me. Leave some reviews after you read if you like.

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* * *

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_**Friday 25th March, 1994 **_

No matter how many hours of sleep he managed to get, Jason never could feign the identity of a morning person. He woke up every morning and usually spent ten minutes wishing he had another hour of sleep and then another five trying to psych himself to throw the covers up.

This morning wasn't much different; except, instead of waking up and remaining half asleep, he felt a surreal sense of nerves and anticipation. It was the day before the karate championship. One day to the day he'd been waiting for since his first karate lesson ten years earlier.

He paid little attention to his routine that morning, the moves running through his mind as he did his hair and splashed water on his face. That woke him up- yes, all the training was starting to take its toll.

"Morning sleepy head," Kimberly's bubbly voice greeted him as he sat at the dining table.

Unlike the red ranger, Kimberly was by all standards, a morning person- all though, Jason thought she was overly cheery and awake at any time of the day. Sometimes he found it slightly enlightening; other days, he found it particularly annoying when all he wanted to do was feel lull and unbothered.

Today he couldn't decide. He knew he was in for a strange day when he woke up feeling so on edge and discovered Kimberly busily reading the newspaper over breakfast, instead of gulping her food down and spending the rest of the time plastered to her vanity table.

He returned her greeting with less enthusiasm and poured himself some breakfast.

"What's with the newspaper?"

She lowered it slightly, an excited glimmer in her eye. "There's an article about the upcoming gymnastics championships being held in LA…I am totally going to convince your mom to let me take a couple of days off school to go, I mean I'd totally die if I could go!"

Jason nodded, showing his interest. "Hey, maybe you could show some moves to one of the coaches and they may recruit you?"

Kimberly eyed him suspiciously. "Are you teasing me?"

He laughed a little inwardly, but held it in. He _was_ being serious, but then again he couldn't miss the opportunity to tease her further. "No, of course not…You're just as good as those girls are…" He paused while she smiled deliriously and he continued. "Just think how handy that helmet will come in when you fall off the bars-ow!"

She leant over and slapped him promptly on the arm. "Shh!" she hissed. "Besides, I can do gymnastics fine without having to morph!"

Jason laughed and Kimberly started giggling, before he shoveled a spoonful of breakfast into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed, but nearly spat it back out into his bowl as his eyes connected with something so unexpected. The print on the front of the Angel Grove Gazette practically pierced his skull and his eyes immediately skimmed over the article.

He grabbed the page a little forcefully and Kimberly frowned. "What?"

"It's him."

Kimberly narrowed her gaze and eyed him dubiously.

"It's that Tommy Oliver," Jason finally managed to get out.

* * *

"Missing?" 

Jason nodded to Zack's question, as he leaned against his locker.

Trini hugged her books tightly to her chest. "I saw it on the news this morning," she shared.

"I slept in," Zack explained quickly. "What did they say about it?"

"By what the detectives have reported, they have absolutely no leads," Billy narrated. "His parents reported him missing three days earlier and nobody has seen him since. There's no evidence of a break-in, but his room showed signs of a struggle."

Jason sighed, almost feeling sick. "I wonder if it had anything to do with the competition tomorrow? Maybe all the publicity had something to do with it?"

Kimberly slumped her body against the locker beside him and nervously tucked some hair behind her ear. "Couldn't we, you know, try and find him?" she wondered.

"What do you mean by that?" Billy asked her.

She bit her lip and they all leaned toward her. "Couldn't we ask Alpha to search for him?" she whispered.

Billy sighed. "Kim, it's not ranger business," he told her quietly. "It would be wrong for us to use our resources to assist one case."

"Guys, we better get going to class," Trini suddenly spoke up.

Jason reluctantly moved his body towards the nearby stairs, remaining silent as Billy continued to try and persuade Kimberly that they couldn't mix their responsibility as rangers with their personal problems.

"I know, but I hate thinking that we could help someone, but we can't," she admitted a little sadly.

"I agree it's a most difficult situation," Billy seemed to sigh.

Jason was thinking over that same deliberation himself as they entered the half-filled class and sat in their usual seats. The three rangers were the only ones not chattering away, their fellow students finally quieting down as Mrs. Appleby entered the room and asked for their attention.

"Before we begin class today, there's something important I need to speak to you all about," she began gently.

Jason heard a loud snort from behind him and turned around to glare at Bulk, before returning his attention to their teacher.

"As many of you would have heard on the news today, a student who was due to start school here at Angel Grove High was allegedly kidnapped from his home this week," Mrs. Appleby continued. "Police are asking that as a community, we offer any assistance possible. If you know anything about the possible whereabouts of Tommy Oliver, you can speak to any of the staff here."

"Yeah, I have an idea," Bulk murmured out loud.

Mrs. Appleby's gaze narrowed dubiously. "What is it, Bulk?" she asked impatiently. Anybody who had known the punk, especially those who had tried to educate him, knew that little of his ideas held any merit or common sense.

"Maybe the aliens or those uh, putty things have taken him?" he said, bursting into laughs alongside Skull.

Jason ignored the bully's comment and glanced at Billy and Kimberly, wishing the day was already over.

* * *

Rita strolled up the stone stairs to the highest balcony of her moon palace, her free hand holding up the hem of her lengthy gown. As she entered the roomy chamber, she glanced around expectedly for her servant, before she scowled impatiently. 

"GOL-DAR!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

She tapped her foot as she heard his heavy legs barrel up the stairs and he entered the area in a breathless fluster, before he quickly bowed his head obediently. "I'm here," he announced, stating the obvious.

"Took you long enough," she practically spat, as she sauntered past the titan before spinning around once more to gaze at him.

"So tell me…how is our newest guest doing?" she asked, the delight at the thought dripping off each word.

"He is ready for the process," Goldar responded. "The sooner, the better…he'll only get weaker as time goes on-."

"Oh come, come Goldar," Rita dismissed his comment with a fleeting hand gesture. "He was a perfect match for our criteria. Perhaps he's only putting on an act?"

Rita looked over her ally's shoulder as Finster entered the room, bowing in an exaggerated motion as usual.

"My queen, I have some wonderful news!" the scientist beamed as he straightened himself up. "The monster is almost completed as per your request…in a matter of earth hours we should be ready to begin the fusion process."

Rita's face lit up. "Wonderful work, Finster!" she praised him with a loud shriek. "It's good to finally see one of you idiots complete something on schedule for once!"

Despite the nasty comment, Finster bowed submissively, before he quietly scurried back out of the room.

Rita's mind was soaring. Finally, something was working in her favor! Perhaps she was being foolish in installing so much faith in her previously bumbling henchmen, but she had a feeling that this time, she'd really make the rangers shake in their boots with inescapable terror.

"What is on your mind, Rita?" Goldar wondered, as he stepped toward her.

The sorceress was too busy in her own fantasies that she didn't react to his casual speech. "I want to see the lab rat," she finally told him.

Rita gripped her hand around her staff, feeling the energy travel through her arm and filling every space of her body. As the particles broke apart and carried her to the new destination, she felt herself already grinning before she rematerialized again.

"Who…who's there?"

Rita chuckled to herself, stepping closer to the small confinement. Despite the lack of light in the caved complex, she was enjoying just imagining the look of horror on her hapless victim's face.

"Hello…how are you enjoying your stay?" Rita casually asked him as wryly as possible.

He seemed to grunt, and she could hear his struggling. "Let me out of here!"

Rita just laughed to herself once more. Plan One was set and in motion, and Plan Two was ready and raring to go.

* * *

The rest of the school day had been slightly dampened for the rangers, and Kimberly was more relieved that usual when the final bell rang. She had spent the entire day, in every class, thinking about the missing boy, someone she didn't even know. 

The whole situation was too horrible to think about. Kimberly could deal with space aliens attacking Angel Grove, but she hated the thought of human crime staining her home city.

It worked out well that Kath asked her to help in the garden when she arrived home, and sitting in the gentle sun helped ease the pink ranger's mind slightly. The repetitive nature of pruning was very soothing, and before too long she found herself too busy chatting to Jason's mother to think about Tommy Oliver.

"Did Jason say if he was coming home for dinner?"

"He didn't say, but I think he'll be home late…he said he'd call if he needed a lift," Kimberly relayed the information Jason had told her before they'd parted that afternoon.

She stepped back from the freshly pruned plant before her, and Kath moved toward her.

"Wow Kim, you certainly have some of your mother's talent, don't you?"

Kimberly never seemed to mind when Kath mentioned her mother. She always did it sincerely, yet casually, not making Kimberly feel anxious or uncomfortable. The simple reminder of her mother's career as a florist and wedding planner was no exception.

In fact, it made her feel quietly proud.

"Thanks," Kimberly said, as she wiped her hands on her denim overall skirt.

"Do you think that it would be something you'd like to do?"

"Work with flowers at weddings?" Kimberly asked and Kath nodded. She shrugged. "I know I love flowers and parties….but I don't think it's really for me. I really would love to do gymnastics- you know I read an article about a girl in Florida who's only sixteen and she's already training for the Pan Global games this year," she gushed.

Kath shielded her eyes as she looked up to Kimberly. "Well, if you're serious about your gymnastics, maybe I should say something to your coach? I'm sure he'd suggest ways in which we could give you as much practice as possible."

"Really? I mean, that would be awesome…did I tell you that on beam I did a Valdez into a back flip, without a spot? Coach Hardin said I'll easily move to level six by the end of next month if I work really hard on it…"

They both turned as they heard the muffled ring of the telephone, and the older woman quickly headed for the door and disappeared inside. Kimberly was still busy reminiscing about her gymnastics class, when a sudden flash of light pulsated around her.

"What are you doing here?" Kimberly stammered through gritted teeth. She tossed the clippers onto the ground and glared at the most unexpected of visitors.

Goldar raised his sword above his head. "Good afternoon, power brat. It's time to come with me!"

Kimberly rolled her eyes, strangely unconcerned by his request. "You know, this is getting really boring and you know I'll only morph and kick your buns. So, why waste your time?"

He stepped towards her and she gasped, running her hand to her back. Her fingers fumbled at the clip, but before she could pry her morpher free, the titan already had a firm grip around her shoulders.

What happened next was a different sensation to teleportation. It happened like the flick of a switch; one moment Kimberly was standing in the backyard, and the next she found herself in a damp and confined cell.

"Where am I?" she called out desperation, immediately grasping the bars in front of her.

She peered through the darkness, her nose scrunching as a foul smell filled her nostrils, almost causing her eyes to water. The tainted air smelled of mould and something else quite hideous and the cold metal between her clenched hands was slicked with wet.

After a minute had passed and no one returned her aimless calls for help, she reached for her wrist.

Her communicator was gone. Her gasp was almost violent and her hands instantly fumbled for her morpher, a sickening feeling creeping over her as she realized with dread that it too, would be gone.

* * *

Jason drove his fists toward the tightly bound bag, as though it had Rita's face on it. Every contact he made with the punching bag seemed to echo through the Youth Center like a shotgun. Not that he noticed. He was too busy thinking about how frustrated he was. 

It all went back to his issues with concentration. Right now all the red ranger could think about was how disappointed he would be if he never got to face Tommy in the championship the next day.

_Hell, that's even if it goes ahead…_

He had thought a lot about Tommy Oliver that day during school and he knew his teammates had all done the same. They all had their different reasons. It was clear that since becoming the group of power rangers, they each invested a lot more thought and concern into the well being of the community as a whole. They all were disheartened at the idea that such a hideous crime had taken place in their neighborhood; For a day, the power rangers felt powerless.

This was something they just couldn't fix. It wasn't something they could morph and defeat, nor was it something they could call the Megazord for to save the day.

It was real life. It was all starting to piss Jason off during a year where he felt that with every high, a seemingly devastating low always followed not too far behind. He wanted to fix it and make it go away, but as he saw it, there was really nothing in his power that he could do about it.

Jason slammed his brief thoughts of frustration away with another powerful punching combination. He spun away from the bag as he was finished, and leaned over to touch his toes. He almost groaned as he heard the chiming of his communicator and swiftly headed out to the empty corridor near the exit.

The bad day was just getting worse.

"Yeah, Zordon, I'm here," he whispered into the tiny microphone.

"JASON, YOU MUST TELEPORT TO THE COMMAND CENTER IMMEDIATELY. THE OTHER RANGERS ARE BEING CONTACTED NOW."

Jason was a little out a breath. "I'm on my way," his scratchy voice got out. He glanced around the hallway and when he was certain it was empty, he jetted off to the ranger headquarters.

He was the first to arrive, but only moments later a wash of yellow, blue and black illuminated the dimly lit area.

"Aie yi yi yi yi!" Alpha 5 was wailing, as he attended to a computer switchboard beside the viewing globe.

"What's wrong?" Jason asked their robot assistant with concern. He knew the panic in Alpha 5's tone could only mean that something was seriously wrong.

Trini stepped up beside Jason and glanced up at Zordon. "You will have to contact Kimberly, because she's not with us," she informed their master.

Alpha 5 spun around at her comment, and flicked his hands above his shoulders. "We can't contact Kimberly, because that's the reason why we called you here!"

"VIEW THE VIEWING GLOBE," Zordon stated gravely.

Jason fixed his eyes on the globe, his heart pounding as he recognized the location in the footage as the backyard of his house. He watched as Kimberly was suddenly confronted by Goldar, his forehead creasing as he watched her struggle to reach her morpher, her eyes widened in trepidation.

And the four rangers seemed to gasp in unison as the titan grabbed their pink laden teammate by the shoulders, ripping her away from the view of the footage.

"Where did she go?" Trini cried.

Jason was momentarily shocked beyond words, but managed to pry his gaze to Alpha 5 as his friends began communicating their distress out loud.

"Where did Goldar take Kim?" he asked the robot in an even tone.

Alpha 5 was too busy stammering in distress to acknowledge his query, and Jason swiftly stepped up to the robot's side and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Alpha," Jason repeated, leaning down a little so he was more at his level. "Stay calm…where is Kimberly now?"

The robot's rambling came to a sudden stop. "I-I…" A pause. "I've attempted to pinpoint her location, but I cannot locate her anywhere on Earth."

"FROM OUR LOCALITY TESTS SO FAR, I CAN ONLY CONCLUDE THAT RITA HAS TAKEN KIMBERLY TO ANOTHER DIMENSION WHERE IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO FIND HER," Zordon stated.

Jason straightened himself and shook his head with frustration. "What do they want with her?" he asked, knowing that Zordon couldn't answer such question.

"THAT IS A QUESTION WE WILL NEED TO ANSWER, SHOULD WE HOPE TO FIND THE PINK RANGER BEFORE ANY HARM IS CAUSED TO HER," Zordon replied.

Jason ran his hand over his face. Suddenly the issues with the championship meant nothing to him in the face of losing his closest friend.

* * *

Rita waited. She could literally feel the excitement build inside her own being, ravishing her with such expectance that not even a small inch of her flesh doubted her own plan. 

She didn't have to be negative, however. The golden mandrill was always more than eager to suffocate her chambers and question her plans. As she heard his heavy, metallic footsteps heavily climb up the nearby stairs, she was almost tempted to spin around and blast him with a warning.

But, she was far too excited about the plan to ruin her own enjoyment!

"Rita?" was all he said, his tone void of his usual grumpiness.

She turned around. "What is it, Goldar?"

He bowed slightly. "What plans do you have in place now that we have both the girl and the boy in imprisonment?" he asked, approaching her slowly.

Rita couldn't contain the grin. She just loved sharing her demonic thoughts with anyone who cared to listen. "The other power pukes are at their Command Center as we speak, and I'm sure they're sitting around and feeling desperate and hopeless…we must take advantage of their blubbering states while we can," she added.

"How do you plan that we do that?" he asked.

His voice was more of interest than of actual questioning of her ability to conjure up a plan and she widened her twisted expression of delight. "I have decided that we must continue to split the rangers up…if we play with their weak little minds a bit, I know we'll be able to persuade their leader to run after his pink ranger…" she walked over to her throne, and scooped up a scroll sitting on the crimson fabric. "This should do the trick," she stated, and tossed the item towards the titan.

Goldar caught the tube swiftly and opened it a little clumsily, staring at it briefly, before he looked back at the sorceress. "This is an excellent plan, empress," Goldar announced. "If we are able to separate Jason from his teammates, they will be even weaker against our monster!"

Rita grinned. He referred to her as 'empress', so he must have been impressed. "And," she continued to talk away, "If we get Zordon and his misfits to worry so much about 'poor Kimmy', then they'll never even suspect the guest we have rotting away in our cells!" she shrieked in excitement, a bold cackle erupting at the end of her sentence.

Goldar nodded, the flame in his eye confirming he, too, was excited by their plan. "Have you considered what the consequences will be if the red ranger is successful in actually locating the pink ranger and the human?" he asked, as always testing her theories.

Rita's delirious excitement faltered somewhat, and she pursed her lips as though something sour had passed through her throat. "Save your negativity, Goldar," she stated, deciding to ignore his comment. "Go now, and leave me be…it's time to send part three down to Angel Grove…"

* * *

"Have you found anything yet?" 

Trini watched as their leader approached Billy with his arms still crossed across his chest. His eyes were dark and unyielding, yet not even slightly desperate. He was, as always, holding his emotions in tact.

The same couldn't be said for the rest of them. Well, perhaps Trini could agree that Billy was at least remaining fairly calm, but even he seemed to be rushing around the ranger headquarters with an insatiable fluster in his step. She figured he was concerned for their abducted teammate, but as Trini thought more about the situation, she decided his hurry was more to do with Jason's unwavering gaze on his every movement.

Zack was the same. He paced around the room, unable to stand still, but every step was unusually flat. There was no bounce, and his brown eyes were only full of worry. Trini wanted to tell him to stop, wanted to tell Jason to stop, but she remained silent. She was too worried about her best friend to bother trying to convince her friends of the one thing she didn't believe.

That somehow, everything would be okay. Could she really believe that? This situation just wasn't like all the others.

Trini tried to rid her thoughts once more, and heard Zack asking Billy for what seemed like the thirtieth time if he had discovered any miracles surrounding Kimberly's kidnapping.

"Zack, if Billy found something, he would tell us," she suddenly spoke up, surprising herself, but surprising her male teammates even more.

Billy looked at them all a little awkwardly and Trini was about to apologize for speaking out of line, when the blue ranger's body suddenly jolted.

"Zordon, we've detected an object some close distance to the Command Center, it's signal matching Rita's energy signature," Alpha 5 suddenly reported.

Trini hurried over to Billy's side as Zordon responded. "EXCELLENT WORK. BILLY, TELEPORT TO THE OBJECT'S LOCATION AND CONFIRM ITS SAFETY BEFORE RETURNING IT TO THE COMMAND CENTER. I BELIEVE IT MIGHT BE A MESSAGE DIRECTLY SENT FROM RITA."

Trini squeezed Billy's arm, before he quickly disappeared in a wash of azure energy. She glanced at her two male teammates and reached out both of her arms to touch them both tenderly.

"Hopefully, it is from Rita," she voiced, trying to sound as optimistic as she possibly could.

Jason nodded in determination. "No matter what that witch has to say, it's only going to help us get closer to finding out where she's holding Kim," he agreed.

As they continued their conversation, Billy abruptly appeared behind them, and rose what appeared to be a sheet of thick and dirty paper before him.

"What is it?" Trini asked him, even though she already guessed what it was.

"As you predicted, Zordon, it's a message of some kind," Billy replied, his eyes searching over the mysterious document.

"Well? What does it say?" Zack asked the blue ranger, his eyes dancing around frantically.

Billy sighed. "It's from Rita…It's addressed to Jason. It says that they are holding Kimberly in the Desert of Deviance. It says that that you must go and rescue her within twelve hours or else she will be killed…it says that you have to go alone, or else she will be killed."

Trini looked to Jason, waiting for her leader's response. As they each remained quiet, she could see the strain on his face slowly build until Zack finally broke the silence.

"It must be a trap," the black ranger muttered. "I mean, why would they ask for you to go on your own?"

Jason didn't reply. He looked as though he was seriously deliberating Billy's relayed words. Zack picked up on his best friend's body language and did his best to intervene.

"Jason, you can't go! It's too dangerous!"

"But what about Kim?" Trini reasoned, before she realized she had spoken. "We can't let anything happen to her."

"Guys," Billy interrupted suddenly from the control panel. They all turned to look at him, as his hands moved effortlessly over the switchboard. "I've got something…on the viewing globe."

Trini allowed Jason through first, and quickly followed him to the sphere screen, resting a hand on his shoulder as it slowly illuminated. At first, she couldn't see anything, but she flinched as a familiar, yet distressing crying suddenly hollered throughout the Command Center speaker system.

"What the hell…" Zack's dazed murmur was the only other noise, as they watched footage of Kimberly being dragged through a narrow hall by Goldar. Trini could see Kimberly's feeble, yet driven attempt to break free, before the titan suddenly lashed a solid slap against her face.

"Man!" Jason fumed, as he spun around and stalked from the globe.

Trini remained focused on the footage before it dropped out and glanced up as Zack voiced his own frustration.

"Why didn't she morph?" he questioned in confusion.

"She doesn't have her power morpher," Billy replied in a quiet voice. "It's clear they removed it from her on the onset of her abduction."

"Man, I'm gonna give that trash can the beating of his life when I get my hands on him," Zack muttered. Zack had always been protective of his friends, and Trini could see the hurt Kimberly's situation was causing him.

_And Jason…_The red ranger had paced across the other side of the room, before he turned around and gazed at them all with unwavering eyes.

"I'm going," was all he said.

* * *

As tensions continued to rise at the Command Center, the scene at a very different and distant location continued to rest in hopelessness. The teenager was tired, unable to find sleep where he had remained slumped in the corner of a small cell for three days. 

He had no idea of the actual length of his confinement. The dull pains of hunger were slowly creeping to a sharp, stabbing warning of starvation. His nose had been constantly running, struggling to breath with the piece of tape he had wrapped around his mouth.

God, and was he sore. His body was killing him. Maybe it was all in his mind, but he didn't think so. He had no doubt that the pain would end up driving him to the depths of lunacy, but the boy also knew the golden-winged creature that took him from his bed was certainly not a dream.

After all, it wasn't exactly secret information that Angel Grove was home to weekly alien attacks and the honorary address to a group of super heroes- those facts in themselves were the reasons his family had uprooted him from Los Angeles. He didn't like the idea of moving enough, without getting abducted by some flying monkey on his first night there.

Oh. He was starting to feel dizzy again. He was losing control.

As he heard a desperate voice begin to shriek in the near distance, he thought he was imagining it. Through the dim light, he saw the flash of gold enter his blurry eyesight, dragging what looked to be a young girl behind him. The titan swung open the cell door next door, but the girl put up her defenses, lashing at the back of his armored legs with her foot.

Her disobedience cost her a slap across the face. The boy heard her the painful sound from the force as she screamed out, helpless as she was thrown into the cage.

"Please! Please! You'll never get away with this!"

The boy tried to scream from under the constraint of the thick tape across his mouth. She appeared oblivious to his attempts, however, and continued to pound on the bars of her cage. Each bang slowly lost its energy until she finally dropped to the ground and lowered her face into her hands.

Then, the lights went completely out again. The swallowing darkness must have shocked the girl because her whimpering suddenly stopped and he could only hear the pounding of his heart.

He let out another muffled, strangled call. He forced his voice so powerfully it almost made him vomit.

A gasp. "Who's there?"

Another scream. He was feeling very dizzy now.

He heard her movement, the metal bars between them ringing as he gathered she must have grabbed them.

"Who's there?" she repeated with attempted courage.

He moved himself forwards. The chains to his limbs rattled, but allowed him the length needed to grab in her direction. Their hands touched. She gasped, followed by aimless stammering; but he continued to run his fingers over hers. He needed her to know he was a victim, like her. If only to get the tape off his mouth so he could breath again.

"Who are you?" she whispered, and he felt her fingers tentatively crawl up his arms and to his face.

He braced himself as her fingers pulled at the tape on his mouth and he let out a gasp, half out of pain, but mostly out of relief. The air had been stuck in his throat and he tried to release it as quickly as he could.

"Thank you," he barely croaked out.

"Who are you?" she asked him again. Her hands were now resting on his shoulders, their nervous twitch thundering through his body as though she was violently shaking him.

"My name is Tommy Oliver," he spoke through the darkness.

* * *

"Tommy? The guy who's been missing; the karate champion-." 

"Who are you?"

Kimberly's head was spinning, but she tried to compose herself to at least answer his question. "My name is Kimberly."

She felt him move and he soon had his hands around hers. Kimberly could feel the sharp edges of his shackles as their fingers connected. The whole situation was so surreal, that she almost believed that somehow Goldar had drugged her and she was dreaming the entire thing.

"Hi Kimberly," he said, his voice raspy and almost painful. "Do you have any idea where we are or why we're here?"

Kimberly released a shaky breath. She was hesitant to answer his question, not wanting to reveal too much, yet she found herself almost automatically wanting to share it all with him.

"There was this gold creature, and they locked me up in this cell-."

"They're the aliens that work under Rita Repulsa," Kimberly cut him off. "They've been attacking Angel Grove…do you…know why they took you?"

She could hear his breathing still adjusting and her mind wondered what horrors he'd endured at the hands of Rita.

"I was sleeping. When I woke up, that gold monkey was standing over me. I tried to fight back, but I suddenly found myself in this place…I think I must have blacked out a few times, I-I can't remember how long I've been here."

"You've been in the papers and on the news…it said you've been gone for a few days," Kimberly told him gently.

"God…my parents must be so worried about me."

"Are you okay? I mean, have you been hurt?"

He sighed. "I'm starving, thirsty and tired, but I think I'm okay, otherwise…it's going to be okay," he added in a gentle voice.

Kimberly released another trembling breath at his simple words. He was a stranger, an innocent, yet here he was trying to reassure her- a power ranger. She should have been the one to promise him, but she had no choice to play along.

Without her morpher, she was powerless.

"Kimberly…do you know why they took you?" he suddenly asked, after a period of silence passed them by.

Kimberly breathed out a "No" before she rested her head against the bars between them. She couldn't begin to think of what the space witch would want with a powerless ranger and a karate champion.

* * *

Back at the Command Center, Jason turned away from his friends and stepped toward nothing in particular. He knew what was coming, but he didn't want to hear it. 

It was his choice and as he saw it, it wasn't much of one.

"Jason, this is crazy- think about what you're saying-."

"I have," Jason practically snapped, as he spun around and stared at Zack. Jason sighed, apologetic for speaking to his best friend with such force in his voice.

"Zack, no matter what crazy terms Rita has set in that letter, I don't have a choice but to follow them. If I don't, then we might not see Kimberly again."

Zack didn't back down, the concern for his friend evident as he tried to reason with the red ranger once more. "Yeah, and if you do what she says, we may not see either of you again. We already know we can't trust a word Rita says."

Trini stepped between the two teammates and moved her eyes between them both as she began to speak. "Jason, we're just worried…we don't want anything to happen to either you or Kimberly. But, you are our leader and you need to make the best decision, even if it is one that we don't all feel comfortable with."

Zack sighed and turned around, clearly frustrated and expressing his powerlessness at the situation.

Jason reached out and touched the yellow ranger's arm, grateful for her words, before he turned to face their mentor. "Zordon, where about is this Desert of Deviance?"

"IT IS A DIMENSION, WHICH HAS NO FIXED LOCATION. IT HOVERS, HOWEVER IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO LOCATE A TEMPORARY PORTAL…I MUST SAY JASON THAT WHILE I ADMIRE YOUR INTENTIONS, I TOO HAVE GRAVE RESERVATIONS IN REGARDS TO YOU OBLIGING WITH RITA'S REQUEST."

Jason sighed a little bitterly, but kept it mostly inward. Was Zordon really questioning his leadership capabilities?

"Zordon, the only way I can see this is that we don't have any other choice…I'm making that decision. I'm going."

The red ranger watched Zordon intently, but glanced down as her felt a hand on his shoulder. For a moment he envisaged it being her and glanced down so expectedly that he almost winced when he found Billy there, instead.

"I think Jason's doing the correct thing," the blue ranger spoke up. "We're a team and we need to execute ourselves as one. I know that if I were being held at Rita's, that I would hope you guys would come to help me. This isn't our sacrifice- this is about looking after each other. I don't think there is anything foolish about that."

"YOUR WORDS ARE WISELY SPOKEN, BILLY," Zordon spoke up. "JASON, IF YOU FEEL THIS IS THE BEST DECISION FOR YOURSELF AND THE TEAM, THEN I SUPPORT YOU IN MAKING THAT CHOICE."

"I do," Jason croaked out. He cleared his throat. "I do," he repeated.

"ALPHA, ATTEMPT TO PINPOINT THE CURRENT LOCATION OF THE DESERT AND PREPARE JASON FOR TELEPORTATION AT THE FIRST AVAILABLE MOMENT."

"Right away, Zordon," Alpha 5 responded.

Jason closed his eyes and waited for teleportation.

* * *

"My Queen?" 

Rita remained seated in her lavish throne. She had been too distracted by the wash of red that had left a trail of energy in the distance, knowingly disappearing in what appeared to be nothingness. The sorceress knew better- Jason had gone after Kimberly as expected.

Finster approached Rita despite her silence, and stopped at her side. She glanced up at him almost unkindly, but he seemed to be expecting it.

"Queen Rita, I would like to inform you that our monster is now complete," he reported with seeming confidence.

Rita's face lit up, and she smoothly stood up, as though energy had just thundered within her.

"Brilliant!" she shrieked. "Prepare it to be sent to Angel Grove, we are just in time to catch those power brats at nearly half-strength!"

"So, would I be correct in assuming the red ranger agreed to our terms and has gone after the pink ranger?" Finster wondered.

Rita sniggered a little. "Yes! He followed our trap even faster than I would have thought! That's pathetic humans for you, though!"

Finster remained quiet, but nodded. It wasn't the time to remind the sorceress that she once was a human, too.

Rita's smile wavered slightly and she turned, as Finster remained motionless. She scowled and raised her staff off the ground in a threatening gesture.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" she suddenly screeched. "Get a move on!"

Finster instantly scurried backwards, crashing to a grinding halt as he collided with Goldar who was entering the chamber. The titan snarled sharply at the scientist, his crimson eyes following him in madness until he was out of sight.

"Oh good, Goldar, you're here," Rita commented, ignoring the golden monkey's usual crankiness.

"Rita, it appears that Kimberly has managed to remove the boy's mouth restraint," he informed her.

Rita shrugged slightly, before she sat back in her throne. "I'm sure it will make for a more interesting occasion," she responded in surprising fashion. "The more the two humans can communicate their fear of dying, the most exciting our plan will become!"

Goldar remained quiet for a moment. "They have been discussing possible escape options," he added.

Rita scoffed a little under her breath. "And just how do you think they're going to escape? In a matter of hours, the only place the boy will be walking to is a shallow grave and that irritating little brat will be not too far behind him!"

The titan seemed displeased with her tone and stepped toward her, a solid hand resting on the handle of his sword. "That's if their leader does not find her before then- I would not put such an accomplishment past him-."

"You're dismissed, Goldar!" Rita snapped at him, standing up and stalking toward him. She narrowed her darkened eyes. "You dare question my authority?" she raised her voice.

She could see the sharpened blades of his jaw show as he snarled back. "Your time will be over soon, Rita," he growled. "Lord Zedd will only allow this type of failure to continue for so long…and when he finally disposes of you, I will finally get promoted to where I deserve to be!"

Her hand gripped around the heat of her staff and she could feel the electricity build. She wanted to kill the disloyal beast there and then.

She released an angry breath instead. "When I finally destroy Zordon's rangers' and Zedd finally grants me shared ruling over the empire, I will personally sanction your execution…" she shot at him, before turning and heading to her throne.

* * *

Jason glanced around the foreign location, slightly relieved, yet a little taken aback at the same time. 

It didn't look like a place of blood shed or violence. The earth below was dusty, reaching out to rocky hills in the far distance that gave the impression of a grand, barren valley. If anything, it looked like the typical backdrop to the old western movies his father used to enjoy.

Okay, maybe now wasn't the time to be thinking about family. He needed to concentrate.

He turned around on the spot a couple of times, trying to assess what his direction would be. Jason knew from the footage of Kimberly that Rita had been holding her in what appeared to be a cave, but that in itself didn't narrow the possibilities down much. He figured it would take him hours to reach the closest hills, and it could take days to explore them for any hints of where the pink ranger was.

But he didn't have days. He had half a day, tops.

He sighed out loud. "Guess we'll go this way," he whispered to himself, as he started forward. Jason kept his pace smooth and swift, yet decided against running. He knew he'd only tire himself out and worse, he had no water if he ended up over-exhausting himself. At least he felt he was physically ready, knowing his training for the championship would have prepared his body for any challenges he might have to face alone.

The walk was lonely. He was only about five minutes along, when he realized just how discomforting he felt without his teammates by his side. Jason knew he would never stop; that he'd find Kimberly no matter what the cost was, but at the same time just being in a place of such emptiness made his realize how much he appreciated his friends' support.

The same friends that didn't want him to go on the mission in the first place. He had a lot to prove. He had to get Kimberly and himself back to Earth safe and sound. He would never stand for Rita making them feel as though she had what it took to make them hide or hold back.

Besides, it wasn't the time to start thinking about the other possibilities. The notion of dying was so easily dismissed by Jason, when he thought about it. He'd save anyone he loved no matter what the cost, but was he maybe being too brazen? Was Zack right?

_I hope you're okay, Kim…_

* * *

Trini believed herself to be a patient person. She had always understood that things took time, and that by allowing understanding in every situation it would pay off in the end. 

Cue to the present, and the yellow ranger was starting to rethink her usual patient ways. She was worried about Kimberly, being that Rita had never attacked them at their homes before, but at the same time she knew how strong-spirited her best friend was. Yes, she would be scared, but she wouldn't give in. She was way too sassy for that.

No, it was Jason that Trini was more bothered about. He was their leader; their pillar. She knew it would have been pointless trying to argue and hold him back from going to rescue Kimberly, but she had this sense of dread about it. Jason was by far their strongest asset, both physically and mentally, and she knew Rita would lavish the opportunity to destroy him when he was weakened and desperate.

He had been steeled as he teleported to the distant dimension. He promised them, told them he would be back very soon. Soon just wasn't soon enough for Trini for the first time in her life.

"Are you alright?" Billy's gentle voice asked Trini as he stopped beside her.

She nodded, but her eyes remained ahead of her. "I know that Jason will be back soon," she spoke the words that sat so hopeful in her heart.

Billy sensed her hesitation. "This is the first time we've been separated," he observed. "If we can make it through this, we'll be able to make it through anything."

Trini nodded a little, only then realizing how much she cherished the blue ranger's sense of calm in times of need. "Are we able to get a link to Jason's location?" she wondered.

Billy shook his head, but stopped abruptly as the center's alarm system burst through the room, sending a shiver up Trini's spine.

"RANGERS, IT APPEARS THAT RITA HAS TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE SITUATION AS PREDICTED AND HAS RELEASED A MONSTER IN THE CENTER OF ANGEL GROVE CITY," Zordon's steeled voice announced.

Trini glanced at Zack with dread. "How tough is this monster?" the black ranger asked.

Billy rushed to Alpha 5's side as the android hurried over the control board in a fluster, but Trini kept her gaze on their mentor as he swiftly replied to Zack's question. "I AM UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS CREATURE AND I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT RITA HAS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED IT WITH THE INTENT TO CAUSE CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE. OUR INITIAL ANALYSIS ON ITS WEAKNESSES HAS COME BACK NEGATIVE AND I'M UNABLE TO PINPOINT ANY DIRECT ACTION REQUIRED TO DEFEAT IT."

Trini nodded a little solemnly. "We need to get there now before it hurts anyone," she pointed out to her two teammates.

Zack nodded, reaching for his morpher. "Let's do this thing…hopefully Jason and Kimberly will be back in time before our butts are completely wiped out," he stated, as Billy and Trini stepped up beside him.

"It's Morphin time!" Billy declared. "Triceratops!"

"Mastodon!"

"Saber-toothed Tiger!"

They teleported without delay to the main city walk, and Trini waited as they each assumed their defensive stances, blocking out the shrill screams from citizens fleeing the area. The creature turned his attention on them, and started toward them in a fierce, fluid-like stalk.

"Time to meet your deaths, humans!" it announced brazenly, before it stopped just yards away from them.

Zack stepped forward, moving his arms in a sweeping gesture, before he grabbed his power axe. "Don't get smart; three against one is still much better odds," the black ranger jibbed.

Trini fastened her gloved hands around her power daggers. "Yeah, you can go back and tell Rita that her plan to try and separate us won't work!" she added forcefully.

"Yeah, maybe the concept's new to her, but we're the power rangers and we're not backing down!" Billy announced last, before he jumped forward and sprung towards the creature. His lance sliced forcefully down the creature's torso and it let out a loud, strangled screech before it lashed back.

Trini quickly raced to her teammates aid, and used her daggers as though they were a sharp and deadly extension of her hands. She could hear the monster's pain tear from its throat at their attacks, but its agony was almost like a stimulant and it almost seemed to be the power behind it's blinding counter-attacks.

_This one's going to be tough! _Trini thought as they continued to fight back the creature with everything they had.

* * *

It was funny how in life, the most difficult of circumstances always proved to be equally enlightening. Kimberly found herself experiencing that little slice of karma as she and Tommy continued to deliberate over ways to escape their entrapment. 

Hours had passed in the darkness that felt like days. With nothing to offer each other but words, they talked and slowly became more than just strangers. When your life depended on something you couldn't see and someone you didn't know, you had no choice but to take that leap of faith and trust them like nothing else.

Kimberly could tell as the hours passed that Tommy wasn't in good health, but his spirit was there and that was all she needed from him. They discussed their little escape options, which Kimberly contributed to in vain. She knew they had no chance of walking free unless Rita messed-up or her teammates came to their rescue.

She thought about the other rangers, but she especially thought of Jason. He would come for her, she had no doubt about that, but then again she didn't even know if her friends knew where she was.

Every so often as she and Tommy spoke to each other, he would suddenly remain silent and her heart would begin to race. That's why she had her fingers gripped so tightly around his, because she didn't want to lose that contact with him in the darkness.

Right now, it was one of those times and Kimberly responded automatically by shaking his hands. She heard him murmur and his shackles rattle as he moved. Kimberly had no idea why Goldar had felt the need to tape and chain up a regular teenager, when she was left free to move without restraint.

_Guess that shows what a threat he thinks I am…well, I'll show him…_

"Tommy?"

A pause, but she felt him slightly squeeze her hands.

"Sorry," he murmured. "I'm tired…don't let me sleep, though- I don't want anything to happen."

"Maybe you should try and get some rest? I'll wake you if anything happens."

"No," he breathed out. "Please."

"Okay," she promised him. Her stomach suddenly growled loudly and he laughed slightly.

"Man, it would be good if they gave us something to eat," he reasoned.

"Yeah… all though, I wouldn't trust anything they gave us, anyway," she told him seriously.

"I hope whatever they're planning to do with us, that they get it over and done with soon…I suppose there's a chance those superheroes will save us, right?"

Kimberly bit her lip. If only he knew how much she was praying for that very miracle.

She suddenly felt Tommy's hands squeeze sharply and a groan echo through the small cave.

"Tommy?…Tommy, are you okay?"

"I. Don't. Know…something's-." He let out another, more painful groan and she heard his body arch and slam against the bars between them.

"Tommy!" Kimberly shrieked, her whole body feeling weak with panic. "Tommy!"

---

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**_Coming up next-The next installment in this arc "The Missing Karate Hero: Part 2":_**_ With their hands tied, Rita's plan blackmails the rangers into pulling out of battle. But will a move made by Kimberly to save someone in turn cause her own death? The rangers have only a moment to unfold Rita's plan before it's too late! _

_A/N- next chapter will be more thrilling, I think and more exciting. I seem to enjoy writing the second half of arcs, than I do the first. Lol I guess it was good to explore the little things that are new to the rangers- being attacked at their homes, being separated and Jason dealing with his role as leader. I think he somehow feels that Zordon was questioning his ability to make decisions, but somehow I think it was more a case of Zordon testing and teaching him that he has the ability inside him to make the right choices. And of course, I wanted to explore and add some depth to the characters of Rita and Goldar, and show that they both have greedy desires and would backstab each other in the blink of an eye, despite being allies. Thanks for reading, Chanelle.  
_


	17. Ep16: The Missing Karate Hero II

**REBIRTH OF THE LEGACY**

By Chanelle Summer

**The Missing Karate Hero: Part 2 - Episode 16**

_G'day this is Mel and I'm uploading Chanelle's chapter for her. She hasn't had any chance to overlook it like she usually does (so she says). But I thought it looked fine. She's still in hospital and can't get on the net right now. Make sure you leave some reviews and I'm sure she'll reply to them when she can. Enjoy and cheerio.  
_

_

* * *

_

It was the most horrible noise.

The pain of someone dying was the loudest and most relentless sound and as Tommy's groans turned into cries, Kimberly began to believe that he was really dying.

It went on forever. Kimberly found herself screaming out his name, so hysterical, that she started to dry wrench. It was as though she was locked in her most horrible dream, yet it was real and making her lose her mind.

When he suddenly stopped crying out, however, Kimberly was so unprepared that Tommy's hands' fell from hers and she had no way of monitoring his condition. Those long minutes in the dark had Kimberly start to cry as she pondered over the fact that somebody had died because of her. It was all too much! Power coins, saving the world; she wanted to give it all back.

When the lights suddenly flicked on, the sound of live electricity rang in her ears and gave her more of a fright, than the sudden sight before her. As her eyes adjusted slightly, she glanced at her fallen prison mate as Rita's sneering voice replaced the ringing in her ears.

"Like what you see, Kimmy?" the ghastly queen cackled.

Kimberly was still staring at Tommy's motionless body, before she turned around and glared at her nemesis. Never had she hated anyone before in her life. Not even the bitchiest girl at school, or Bulk and Skull…this was real hatred.

"You'll never get away with this!" Kimberly snapped. "What have you done to him?"

Rita smirked. "It's a test, pink ranger…the boy is what you'd call a lab rat. By earth standards, he fit the criteria of what I needed…your pitiable friends are losing a battle against the ultimate fighting machine- a creature that is living off poor Tommy's body!"

Kimberly frowned, the horror stricken on her face. "What are you talking about?"

"It means, the more your teammates attack my monster, the more poor Tommy will suffer…and as my fighting machine continues to use Tommy's life force, it is only growing further in strength! Your three teammates will soon be obliterated and you'll be left here to starve!"

"What do you mean 'three'?"

"Let's see…there's the blue one, the yellow one…oh, and the black one…the red one, your leader, I'm afraid it's already too late for him-."

Kimberly leapt forward and grabbed the cell's bars'. "What did you do to Jason?" she gasped.

The space witch leaned forward, as if to tease her. "He perished trying to rescue you, princess!"

"I don't believe you!"

Rita let out a howling cackle, before she disappeared in another wash of light. Kimberly quickly moved her hand to cover her eyes, before she opened them, at least grateful to have the lights on.

And then they turned off again.

Kimberly slumped back to the ground, feeling suddenly more panicked, than defeated. So many things were racing through her mind- Tommy; Jason; the other rangers…she realized all too quickly that her predicament was probably the least important in the day's horrible turn of events'.

Did the others even know of Rita's horrible scheme? Kimberly had suddenly been bombarded by the unbearable details, but if she couldn't tell the others, how could she possibly prevent any of it? How could she stop Tommy dying?

Kimberly wasn't used to coming up with elaborate plans. Usually, that was Jason's job, or if it was something technical, than Billy was definitely the person in charge. Even with the partial mind download from her swap with the blue ranger, Kimberly didn't remotely feel confident in her ability to think of a feasible rescue plan.

She moaned a little, and moved her cramping feet from under her, stopping suddenly as she felt something poke into her side as she leant on the ground awkwardly. Her hand fumbled to the pocket of her overalls and a whoosh of air escaped her lips as she pulled the familiar accessory free.

"Ohmigosh!" she whispered in a high-pitch voice, hugging her communicator to her chest. Kimberly couldn't believe in the chaos of her abduction, that she'd forgotten she'd put her communicator in her pocket before she'd started gardening with Kath…all that time she could have made contact with her friends!

"Zordon, Jason, anyone! It's me!" she gasped into the speaker.

She held her breath for a moment, before a voice suddenly blared back to her. "Kim! Where are you?" Jason's voice urged to her.

"I don't know! I'm in a cell, it's dark…it looks like some sort of cave."

"Are you okay? They haven't hurt you, have they?"

"No, I'm fine," she reassured him quickly. "But I found Tommy Oliver, Jase…he's here, locked in the cell beside me…but they've done something to him. Rita told me that the monster the others are fighting is feeding off his life force or something. I-I think he's dying!"

"Kim, just stay calm; I'm coming to find you right now-."

"Jason, you have to tell the others to stop fighting the monster or else Tommy will die."

* * *

Jason's heart was racing. He was absolutely shocked to hear from Kimberly, but his relief was short lived as she delivered her terrifying news. Suddenly the odds had become so much worse- he no longer had only himself and Kimberly to consider, but the life of an innocent was now resting in his hands. 

"Kim, I'm in some desert trying to find you," he told her after she finished talking. "There are mountains nearby. I'll check them out…I'll try to call the others, but I don't know if I can get through. Zordon said something about this dimension being difficult to find."

"You have to try…hurry Jason." Her voice was so desperate.

"I will." He paused. He hated the thought of losing contact with her. "I'll be in touch," he promised her, before he lowered his hand and gathered his head.

_Man, I hope this works…_

"Zordon?" he spoke loudly into his communicator. "Zordon, do you read me?"

He waited for a moment, before he heard static, the sound distorted and messy. Jason squinted his eyes as he waited, trying not to hold his breath as he heard what he hoped was a reply from the ranger headquarters.

"Ye…Jas…we re you, but yo-r sig…very untable-."

"Zordon, I can't hear you. Listen; Kim got in contact with me. She's being held in a prison beside that missing karate champion, Tommy Oliver. He's dying. They've done something to him. The monster Rita sent is living off Tommy through some device. You have to tell the others to pull back, otherwise Tommy is going to die."

Static again. Jason sighed and lowered his arm. He'd tried his best, and he had to hope that somehow he succeeded in alerting Zordon.

And with a big chance that his distress call failed, Jason had no choice but to do everything possible in his power to rescue Kimberly and Tommy. The adrenalin had kicked in.

* * *

Back on the streets of Angel Grove City, the three battling rangers were almost on their knees. 

The streets were deserted; citizens had fled the scene almost thirty minutes earlier. The strip of pedestrian walk was a mess, and Trini was more than relieved that there were no civilians at risk of being injured. After all, it was clear from the mess and damage to everything from benches, to signs and trashcans, that their fight with Rita's monster had been more than severely dangerous.

They were on their knees.

Trini panted and straightened her arm as she slowly stood up. For the first time since she'd donned her yellow ranger suit, she was actually beginning to feel the brunt of each blow. She couldn't even work out where she hurt most of all.

Her knees shook a little, almost as if warning her to stay away from the creature. She watched with dread as the creature sent Billy stumbling back with a powerful roundhouse kick and she rushed painfully to his side.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, trying to help him up, but knowing she was giving a less than feeble attempt.

He nodded his head. "Are you hurt?" Billy asked her concerned.

She shook her head, grateful that she had the dark visor to cover her weary eyes from him. "This is so difficult," she almost whispered. "I wonder what is different about this monster from the others-."

"Guys!"

They snapped their heads back towards the creature, as Zack's cry for help tore past them. The brawny fiend seemed to grin evilly at them both, as it clenched its grip around the black ranger's foot and swung him around and around.

"Zack!" Trini called out breathlessly, as she tried to rush to his aid.

"I think I need a little help here- whoa!" he abruptly yelled, as the monster let go and sent him crashing heavily into a brick wall nearby.

Trini clenched her teeth and steadied herself. She was about to launch herself into an attack, before she heard her communicator chime through the battle.

Trini took some steps back, and allowed Billy access to the creature before she answered.

"Zordon, we read you," she answered, trying to steady her voice.

"TRINI; YOU, ZACK AND BILLY MUST PULL BACK FROM BATTLE AND RETURN TO THE COMMAND CENTER IMMEDIATELY."

Trini frowned and stared at her cocked wrist for a moment. She was sure she had heard that right, but at the same time it was so unexpected, that she doubted every word her mentor had told her.

"B-but Zordon, the creature-."

"THOSE ARE STRICT ORDERS, YELLOW RANGER…I WILL EXPLAIN ALL ON YOUR ARRIVAL."

Trini lowered her arm and looked at her battling friends, stumbling and yet earnestly giving it all they had.

"Guys! Zordon wants us to pull back and return to base!" she shouted out.

Her announcement caused them to lose all concentration, and they were both sent flying in split directions, before they began for her.

"What did you say?" Zack called out, mid-sprint.

"We have to teleport back to the Command Center," she replied, and teleported without delay.

As her feet touched the ground in the Command Center, Trini swiftly removed her helmet, and waited as her two teammates arrived behind her, before she glanced up in Zordon's direction. Her face was neutral, hiding her frustration at pulling back, yet somehow as she looked at the sage, she began to worry.

"Zordon; why did you pull us back?" Zack asked, the confusion clearly on his face.

"RANGERS, I APOLOGIZE FOR MY ABRUPT INTERVENTION, HOWEVER WE HAVE MADE STARTLING DEVELOPMENTS REGARDING JASON AND KIMBERLY, AND THEY HAVE GRAVE AFFECTS ON THE CREATURE YOU ARE IN BATTLE WITH.

"WE RECEIVED SCATTERED COMMUNICATION FROM JASON, INFORMING US THAT KIMBERLY WAS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH HIM VIA THEIR COMMUNICATORS. SHE INFORMED HIM THAT MISSING TEENAGER, THOMAS OLIVER IS BEING HELD BY RITA IN THE DESERT OF DEVIANCE-."

"The karate champion?" Billy spoke up surprisingly.

Zordon nodded. "FROM KIMBERLY'S DESCRIPTION, IT APPEARS RITA HAS DEVELOPED A DEVICE WHICH IS USING THOMAS'S LIFE-FORCE TO FEED THE STRENGTH AND AGILITY OF HER MONSTER. EVERY TIME WE ATTACK THE CREATURE, IT WEAKENS THOMAS, AND IN TURN STRENGTHENS IT. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT BY CONTINUING IN BATTLE, THAT WE RISK LOSING THOMAS'S LIFE."

Trini's mouth opened slightly, and she glanced over to her male friends. They were each in shock, clearly taken aback by how elaborate Rita's scheme was this time around. Trini had thought at worst that Rita's newest monster was something that would take their all to defeat, but now everything had become so twisted and complicated.

_Then how are we-._

"But what about the monster?" Zack asked, almost painfully. "That maniac will destroy the whole city!"

"Stay calm, rangers," Alpha 5 spoke up, as he fluttered across the room and stopped before a terminal. "We are hoping to receive updated contact from Jason…at present, I am trying to pinpoint a live-feed of Jason's movements so we can monitor his progress…"

Trini looked to Billy. He nodded his head a little, and slowly followed the robot. There was nothing much any of them could do but wait. The thing they all hated most of all.

* * *

Jason was running now. The situation seemed too urgent now for him to continue his stroll through the desert and any common sense he'd had regarding the search for Kimberly had now been left back in some direction he couldn't point out. 

The approaching hills seemed to nearly swallow him up as he continued to run, and he was grateful for the skyrocketing fitness levels he'd earned from his training for the karate championships. He'd always been fit and relatively strong for his age, but maybe, just maybe, it would all help him so much more now. Help him save three lives and get them back in time to help so many more.

He grimaced a little as he felt the back of his shoe begin to rub uncomfortably on his right foot and he slowed. Jason gazed over the scenery before him, dusty peaks molding into one and other, with little to distinguish and nothing to help him find where Kimberly was being held.

Except for Kimberly herself. Jason walked along the base of the rocky mountains and with each step he thought he heard it. They were sharp, hysterical shrieks, but the sobbing was unmistakable and he knew it so well. The excitement at hearing her was almost too much- he was sprinting now, and followed the weaving of the ground with pure adrenalin in his stride.

With each step, her voice became closer. He continued to throw himself forward, despite the slowing building objections from his body. And, as he darted around a sudden bend in the mountainside, he found the idea of coming to a sudden halt more than difficult to muster.

He tried to catch his breath, as he eyed the creature. Jason clung to the rise in the dirt in a feeble effort to camouflage himself, at least until he could think of a way to pull the most important part of the mission off. His eyes wondered over the monster's thick armor, thousands of deadly spikes sending the ultimate warning that the creature had more than what it took to keep Kimberly and Tommy inside the cave, and to kill Jason if he tried to test that.

Jason sighed a little, as he reached to the back of his sweatpants and tried to quietly unclip his morpher from the belt. But as he did so, he knew with dread that the simple motion would sound like a gunshot in the desolate quarry and he quickly threw his tired arms forward as the creature swung its solid head in his direction.

Its thundering howl rumbled past Jason's ears' like a stampede of a thousand frenzied animals, but the red ranger kept him arms straight and responded in kind. "It's Morphin time!" he yelled. "Tyrannosaurus!"

The blazing skin of his ranger suit devoured Jason, and whipped his arms into a kata stance while he gazed at his opponent with weary eyes. The creature was mammoth, and clearly capable of inflicting much pain, but Jason quickly tried to remind himself that if it was made for or worked for Rita Repulsa, then he was capable of pushing it back.

Jason wrapped his hands around the handle of his power sword and pulled it free, watching the tip slice cleanly through the dull air. He pointed it on target and stalked slowly, bracing his knees and not showing an ounce of hesitation.

* * *

Kimberly sat in the darkness with her legs hugged to her chest and her head resting heavily on her knees. She had nearly given up. Screaming and wailing for help, that is. 

Tommy hadn't made much of a sound over the passing half-hour, except for the random and painful groans that brought tears to the pink ranger's eyes'. The pitch black was more than lonely during this time. While Kimberly thought about everything that Rita was putting Tommy through, she started to believe that maybe she could be next. Or even Jason? The situation was too terrible for Kimberly to think about.

Kimberly flinched a little as she heard a dulled noise from the distance. She shook her head. No, she was sure she was hearing things.

As she slowly stretched her legs out and wiped her dirtied hands over her puffy eyes, she heard another noise. This one was the sound of conversation, the voices both distinguished in a way Kimberly had never heard of.

She let out a hopeful burst of air as she awkwardly stood up and waited. With her hands clenched around the cell's bars', her heart sunk just as quickly as it had risen as she heard the looming exchange distinctly.

"…see, I told you Queen Rita would start to give us more important tasks, if we showed what good servants we could be…" the politely spoken voice said.

_Great…more of Rita's goons'? _Kimberly thought with disgust and even more disappointment. _She's doing everything in her power to make sure that we can't-._

"I know. I can't wait until we can tell Lord Zedd that we successfully defeated the Power Rangers!" she overheard another voice, this time one that was much higher in tone. "And just think all the excitement we'll have when our queen has finished with the boy…that sucker on his back will suck all the energy out of him! It's just so exciting!"

_Sucker? What's a sucker?_

Kimberly let out another breath. If she was overhearing Rita's loyal servants correctly, then Kimberly had just discovered the way in which they were slowly trying to kill Tommy, or more specifically, suck the life from him.

_I have to think of a way to get out of this stupid cell and get to Tommy…if I can find this 'sucker' thing, then maybe I can save him…_

She blindly ran her hands over the small door of her cell, fumbling over the sharp corners until she reached what she knew was the lock. The key was of course, nowhere to be felt, but it gave her an idea. She had to at least try it, right?

Her fingers reached knowingly to the tortoise-shell clip in her hair, and pulled it out, running the tip of her finger over it's sharp end. She bent her knees a little and awkwardly shoveled the end into the keyhole, twisting it and moving it around half a dozen times until she paused with frustration.

_Why isn't this working? _She thought with gritted teeth.

Kimberly remembered back to her short life in Los Angeles, where the teenage boy next door tried to coerce her into doing stupid things. His father was a locksmith and so the son claimed he was an expert at breaking into anything with just a simple pin.

Kimberly never stuck around to see his work, but now she was wishing she had. Maybe what the boy had said to her was nothing short of wishful thinking or egotistical gloating.

She continued to shovel the pin around with more force. _Maybe, I'm just not cut out for this whole superhero-._

It clicked.

Kimberly was so surprised, that she let out a sharp squeal, but quickly drove her hands to her mouth. She waited. Feeling satisfied that Rita's comrades had not heard her outburst, she slowly stepped out of the confinement.

Using her hands as he guide, she moved them over the bars that had enclosed her and Tommy and stopped as she reached what she hoped was the door to the martial arts student's cell. Kimberly moved the end of her clip to the lock, but as she put pressure on it, the door opened freely without warning.

_It's not locked! Oh my gosh, I can't believe it! _She thought with such bizarre excitement, that she threw herself into the boy's cage and scrambled to his fallen body with not an ounce of hesitation.

Tommy didn't respond to her touch, and even though she knew he wouldn't, it still made her stop for a moment. She didn't want to move him, but at the same time, Kimberly realized she'd never be able to ask him to roll over so she could look at his back.

She pushed on him. It took all her strength, and every time she nearly had the momentum, her attempt would fail. The chains around his limbs were rattling with her feverish efforts, but Kimberly didn't pay an attention, nor did she care. She had one opportunity to save them both and couldn't afford to be careful.

Kimberly let out a groan herself as she shoveled his limp body over and quickly moved her hands to his back. He wasn't wearing a shirt, that much she already knew when her hands touched the balmy surface of his bare skin. The tips of her fingers trickled over his muscular back, until she felt it.

It was only small; perhaps the size of her palm, and it seemed to be emitting a strange heat. She pulled at it gingerly at first, but used more strength until she heard a strange noise as the device's claws were ripped from Tommy's skin.

Her heart pounded as she dropped the sucker into her lap and she heard Tommy's faint voice reach her.

"Kimberly…"

* * *

Back outside, Jason was clinging to his side, heavy breaths escaping so loudly that it sounded as though he had sandpaper caught in his helmet. 

He gazed up icily at his opponent. It too, was hanging precariously to its stance, a green substance flowing from its numerous gashes seemingly leaking any ounce of life it once had. The guard monster tried to stare Jason back, but even its gaze appeared glassy and unfocused.

Jason straightened his bent legs and moved his hand from his side, and back to the solid handle of his sword. It had been a bitter and treacherous battle between the two, but he had taken the lead.

Jason took a big breath and began forward, his feet spinning beneath him at an uncontainable speed. He headed straight for the sharp rock peak beside them, and jumped forward, using his momentum to launch his feet off the mound and spin over backwards. His acrobatic movements seemingly caused the dazed creature much confusion, and it barely moved as Jason sliced his sword across its wide back.

The creature roared and as abruptly as it cried out, it stopped. It stumbled forward a mere two steps, before its huge body slammed toward the bare earth. The impact sent a windstorm of dust into the air, and Jason was blinded, until it slowly settled.

And revealed a new, more hateful foe.

"Ah, red ranger; so we meet again!" Goldar mocked, breaking out into hysterics, as he settled his golden sword on Jason.

The red ranger didn't move. He hadn't been expecting Goldar, and at a moment of grave apprehension and desperation, it just made him even more determined.

Jason panted, quickly swallowing the saliva in his throat. "You wanna play too, Goldar? Bring it on…see your guard dog over there? I did that," he jibed, unable to stop the taunts that flooded uncontrollably from behind his helmet.

The hate was in every word. Jason hated Rita's ally for everything he'd done, and especially for messing with Kimberly.

Goldar chuckled in his usual cocky delight and seemed to bounce a bit from one leg to the other. "You should have more sense than making promises you can't keep, boy," he snarled back.

Jason chuckled a little himself as he felt the anger build in every muscle in his body. He knew from all his training, that preparing to battle with such anger was always a mistake. The red ranger had to let it go…

But it was so difficult!

They moved around in an uneven circle, Jason slicing his sword carefully in random motions as he strode, while Goldar snarled and followed suit. They were testing each other; waiting for one to make the first move.

"Rita's plan is doomed," Jason mentioned, as they continued to rotate. "You should know now that no matter what dodgy tricks you try to pull, you'll never beat Zordon or the power rangers."

Goldar slowed down, his crimson eyes flashing a little as he responded. "Oh, and how is that red ranger? You may have been lucky in the past, but your time is almost up now…or should I say, the pink ranger's time is almost up…"

Jason's teeth clenched. "As soon as I'm done with you, I'll find Kimberly and Tommy and I will stop whatever it is you're doing to him and as for Kim…you'll never get the chance to hurt her."

_That's if they haven't already done so…what if all that screaming I heard from her before was-. _

"You see, you may think that you were smart to tell your little friends to pull back fighting Rita's monster, but think again, Jason…we have all situations covered-."

"If you're trying to sound smart, Goldar, then just get to the point," Jason muttered, as he broke from their standoff, and launched his sword toward the golden monkey.

Goldar growled in response and swiftly caught Jason's attack with his own weapon, as they both struggled to hold the other one back.

"I welcome you to remove the device that's draining the boy's life force…but know that if you do, and your teammates destroy the monster, then something terrible will happen to the pink ranger…Unbeknownst to her, she's been hooked up to explosives which will detonate in such a situation…Do I need to describe to you what effect such an explosion could have on that little weakling's body?" Goldar finished his announcement, the force coming through as Jason's arms' began to shake from trying to hold him back.

Jason was choking. He coughed, his stomach doing a back flip. His legs were the first to go, before he hopelessly gave in to Goldar's pressure as the mandrill's sword sliced across his chest.

But he didn't feel a thing, nor see a thing. Every thing was blurry. For the first time, Rita had outthought them, outsmarted them…no matter what they did that day, something terrible was certain to happen.

And Jason had walked blindly in to a trap.

He had to get Kimberly and Tommy. He had to fight. He had to!

His heart pounded as he tried to gather himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, back inside the cave a mere fifty yards away, Tommy was shocked by the sudden surge of life that rocketed through his veins and seemed to bring him back from the dead. He couldn't remember all the time that had past him by, but from Kimberly's frenzied words', he knew he must have been only a short distance from dying. 

Yet now he was full of energy, his regained strength easily moving around the clipped shackles that he had thought were unbreakable. As Kimberly finished undoing the clamps around his wrists, he moved quickly to his ankles, unable to speak, despite Kimberly's seemingly nervous chatter.

"…I don't know how we're going to get out of here, but I'm sure that if we can get ourselves out of the cave, then someone will find us and help us," she babbled. "I'm sure the power rangers are outside looking for us as we speak."

Tommy wished he could see through the pitch black that still engulphed them both, but nodded anyway. He didn't really know the teenage girl, yet he was in awe of the seemingly physically disadvantaged stranger saving his life. Tommy would have been certain that had she managed to break free, that she would have fled to save her own self, but she didn't.

He really didn't know what to say to her. The words didn't come out.

They quickly unclipped the final clamp around his left ankle, and Tommy slowly stood up, feeling every muscle in his cramping body protest as he did. He let out a small groan, unable to hold in the grimace, and almost immediately he felt Kimberly's tender hands lurch around his arms.

"Are you okay?" she asked with clear dread.

He felt a little embarrassed about worrying her. "Yeah, I'm fine." He was still a little breathless. "Let's get out of here…I'll go first."

He moved past her, and despite feeling a little discomforted, he reached back and grabbed her hand in his, pulling her gently behind him as he tried to lead them both through the dark. Tommy wasn't scared, knowing that anything he stumbled upon couldn't be any worse to the hell he'd already gone through, but he didn't want anything to happen to Kimberly.

_I can't believe she risked herself to come and save me. _

The thought just revolved around his head, repeating and circling, until his hand came to what he knew was a locked door. Two things about that _did _manage to make him nervous; the possibility that it was locked, or that something quite horrible awaited them on the other side.

"Hang on a second," he whispered to Kimberly, as he moved his free hand over the rocky surface.

Finding what he hoped was the doorknob, he turned it using quite a bit of strength. It whined, but obliged, allowing him to push on the door while it slowly pressed open, light flooding Tommy's stinging eyes' from the other side.

"Uh-UH Hold it!"

Tommy suddenly stopped as the bouncy voice chirped at him as he stepped through the door. As his blurry vision cleared, he rested his eyes on what appeared to be two alien-looking creatures and he immediately assumed a defensive stance.

He felt Kimberly's hands' grab around the back of his arms and he glanced over his shoulder, trying to ease the trepidation in her brown eyes. The fear was definitely there, and as he looked at the girl for the first time, he was almost distracted, until she quickly spoke up.

"What do you want?" Kimberly asked the aliens with apparent confidence.

The taller creature seemed to purse his navy lips, as the shorter one bobbed a little nervously beside him.

"You have to go back in your cages!" it stammered. "Queen Rita will be very angry if she discovers that you've escaped and Baboo and I will get into all sorts of trouble!"

Tommy frowned, not expecting that such a creature would speak perfect English. He felt Kimberly's grip loosen and watched as she stepped beside him. How he wished she would just get back behind him so he could protect her!

"If you two don't let us past, we will kick both of your butts," Kimberly threatened, as she raised an eyebrow and glanced at Tommy for some sort of support.

Tommy would have laughed at the sight of the small girl threatening such creatures, but he quickly followed suit and turned his attention back to the bumbling goons.

"Unless you two are going to stop us, I suggest you move now or else I will hurt you," he added.

The shorter creature glanced at his counterpart in fear. "I think he's telling the truth, Baboo…Queen Rita said he was a really good fighter!"

"Be quiet, Squatt!" Baboo slapped him on the arm. "Now they know that we're afraid of them!"

Tommy loosened his tense stance and watched as Kimberly began forward, walking past the two creatures that appeared too immersed in their argument, than to worry about the fact that she was escaping. He quickly followed behind her, and as they jogged through what appeared to be the mouth of the cave, he shot an arm out to hold her back.

"Wait!" he stammered.

She turned around. "Are you okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah…but uh, maybe we should slow down…we don't know what might be waiting for us outside-."

They both shot their heads towards the opening of the cave as they heard a loud roar thunder from outside. The snarling holler was so forceful that they both grasped the side of their heads and closed their eyes.

"What is that?" Tommy shouted out a little unexpectedly.

He opened his eyes a little, and Kimberly looked back at him fearfully. "I think that might be the real guard," she replied with a dreadful grimace.

* * *

Rita was speechless. Her lips were clenched so tightly, that she felt the blood in her head swirl and expand, the pressure so forceful that she finally opened her lips and let out a terrifying scream. 

"HOW COULD THEY?" she hollered.

She grabbed the sides of her head, pressing into her skull as if hoping that the pain would take away from the utter madness she was feeling.

Her kidnapped experiment and the powerless pink ranger had somehow managed to break free…with nothing more than a hairpin!

"Those pesky rangers…Damn Zordon to all Hell!" she hissed under her breath.

She could feel her head ache and Rita grabbed hold of the balcony's railing, resting the side of her face against her staff. There was no time for her to lose control…no, this time, unlike all the others, she had a back-up plan.

She was prepared this time.

Rita smiled a little to herself at the thought, the wickedness cementing itself in the center of her thoughts once again. No, this wasn't a bad situation; there was much to be celebrated, to be rejoiced.

Her experiment had worked. The wretched girl had managed to end it during the most enjoyable moment, but that act in itself wasn't a bad thing, either.

No, no, no. Now, the pink ranger would die. The undetectable explosive material was connected to the inside of her clothes after the weak girl fainted on her abduction. She was so brainless, that she had completely failed to notice…a stupid mistake, and definitely a costly one.

Such an explosion would kill the thing in an instant. Then the red ranger would die trying to save her, and no doubt the rest of their pathetic team would perish following them blindly into their early graves.

Then, Rita would be free to rule the world. She would finally gain the praise she deserved from Lord Zedd and would take with her the knowledge she had gained. The boy would be handy. She just had to think of how exactly she would weave him into her whole, evil plan.

So, now she had to focus on plan B. It was time to send her monster to the ranger leader, who would surely dispose of its now powerless body, which would in turn detonate the explosives hidden on Kimberly.

"Teleport my monster to the Desert of Deviance!" she hollered, as she hurled her staff forward and watched the electricity thunder towards Angel Grove and surround her pride and joy.

She was still in the game.

* * *

The wait was always the hardest part. 

Billy remained still, watching the viewing globe in all its glory as it flashed its footage of Rita's seemingly indestructible monster raging havoc in the business district of the city. At least the citizens of Angel Grove seemed more educated and followed the necessary steps to keep away from the immediate danger.

Still, the structural damage was slowly and painstakingly building.

Until, it stopped.

Billy immediately swerved to the computer consol, fearing they had lost transmission, when he realized quickly that Rita's monster had disappeared from Angel Grove altogether. It had fled from a situation it was overwhelmingly winning, and Billy couldn't begin to hypothesize on why.

"Whoa, Billy-man, where'd it go?" Zack asked, still sounding irritated.

Billy was too busy thinking through his theories, before Zordon swiftly responded.

"RANGERS, IT APPEARS THAT RITA'S MONSTER HAS LEFT ANGEL GROVE AND HAS BEEN TELEPORTED TO THE DESERT OF DEVIANCE. I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT RITA HAS PLANS TO ATTACK JASON WHILE HE IS ON HIS OWN AND WITHOUT ANY ASSISTANCE."

"Oh no," Trini said with dread. She looked at Billy with desperate eyes. "Isn't there anything we can do to help him?"

"Yeah, I mean Rita made her demands, and she broke the rules…I say stuff her and let's go and get Kim, Jason and Tommy," Zack spoke up eagerly.

Billy had already been busy at the scanning terminal, doing his best to find the temporary teleportation coordinates to Rita's distant dimension. He agreed that Zack was right- Rita was practically begging them to show up at the desert for the ultimate showdown.

"Billy, turn up the frequency and broaden your search," Alpha 5 swiftly suggested, as the robot scurried over to the blue ranger's side.

Billy was relieved he was a fast learner. In a mere month he'd experienced technological systems beyond the wildest imaginations of the most excitable scientists, yet in the blunt situations that tested him for time, he was mastering nearly every single one. And he was more than grateful that he had his automaton companion to show him the way when we were not.

"I've found it," Billy stammered, as the light flicked up on the screen and the stream of numbers rattled from the machine.

"GO NOW, RANGERS AND TAKE CARE," Zordon spoke up seriously. "REMEMBER, WE HAVE A CIVILIAN LIFE THAT IS OUR PRIORITY. CONTAIN RITA'S MONSTER AND MAY THE POWER PROTECT YOU."

Zack stepped forward and motioned to Billy. "It's Morphin time!" the black ranger called out.

Billy landed roughly on his feet after a dazzling teleportation run through pure light to the Desert of Deviance. He swung his arms out to balance him and had only a moment to catch his breath, before a flash of gold suddenly stormed his way.

"So…you three want to join the fun too, huh?" Goldar goaded, as he barreled towards the blue ranger.

Zack rushed up to his side and swung his power axe to its kata position. "Four against two is still much better odds, Monkey breath," Zack teased.

"Yeah, maybe you should leave now, before we dispose of you and your friend over there," Trini added, as she and Zack started toward the angry titan.

Billy took their distraction as an opportunity to sprint away, heading to the near distance where he spotted a figure in red against the nimble creature he had faced back in Angel Grove.

Jason managed to gasp out as Billy rushed to his side, falling awkwardly on his back as the creature let out a powerful blow. "Billy! We have to think of a way to stop fighting-."

Billy swung his lance toward the creature, but before he had the opportunity to respond to his leader's plea, the monster snapped a solid hand around his wrist and tossed him hopelessly toward the nearby rocky mass.

_This situation is becoming more than desperate…_

Billy couldn't think of even the slightest idea on how they could get out of the situation. It was clear from the way in which Jason was powerfully pushing it back, that the creature seemed to have lost some of its stamina, but Billy was also conscious of Tommy's possible torture and was concerned that they may be causing the innocent boy unnecessary pain.

Jason was knocked back once more and Billy ducked and nearly tripped, but rolled conveniently into a ball, before he sprung back to his feet. The momentum sent him forward a little, even on standing, but he felt as though he collided with an invisible wall as he spotted two humanoid forms running in their direction.

As they dashed towards the raging battle, Billy could recognize both faces. His, was one that had sat in the blue ranger's mind since he had watched the news that morning, while the female one belonged to one of his dearest friends. Just seeing them both so vulnerable and exposed was enough to make Billy run toward them; to stop them.

He didn't even have a moment to rejoice in the fact that both Kimberly and Tommy were free, let alone running and apparently in good enough health to sprint vigorously.

Billy let out a stutter as he was suddenly hit from behind, and he was surprised at the impact that rattled through his skull as his helmet collided with the dry earth. Rolling over proved pointless, and he managed to barely call out to Jason, before Goldar had a solid grip around his ankle. Not even putting up a fight, Billy kicked back, but let his body fly through the air like a missile, landing only a few feet from where the red ranger was sprinting toward Tommy and Kimberly.

"We've got the device!" Kimberly's voice called out.

"Where is it?" Billy heard the red ranger gasp out as he stumbled to a halt before the two humans.

Billy gathered himself from the ground and watched in anticipation as Tommy suddenly raised his hand. "It's here," was all he said.

* * *

"Guys! Stop fighting the monster!" Jason's voice suddenly tore through the vast and open battleground. "It's weak because the power drainer has been removed!" 

Jason didn't even bother to watch his teammates as he spoke and hoped to whatever higher being that they would follow his pleaded warning to them. His eyes were too busy running over Kimberly's body, and despite any reservations, he reached forward and touched her with his gloved hands.

"What are you doing to her?"

Jason only then remembered Tommy, and realized quickly that he had to be careful in his actions. He couldn't let on in any way shape or form that he knew Kimberly or else their cover would be potentially blown.

Jason seemed to pull his hands back a little, before he moved them up to the clips of her denim overall dress. Kimberly's eyes' were full of confusion, but she didn't protest, sensing that Jason obviously had an important reason for trying to undress her.

The straps fell low and Kimberly ensured the lower half of the garment remained around her hips as he peeled back the bottom of her top underneath.

"What's going on?" Kimberly quivered breathlessly.

Jason's heart sank as his eyes fell on the problem. They didn't look like any explosive Jason had ever seen- but the tiny, unobvious patches that were strapped around her waist just had to be what he was afraid of most. He spun around, the urgency of the moment too grave for him to waste a moment longer on cursing or mindless chitchat.

"They're explosives!" Goldar's sneering voice announced with seeming delight. "Ready to blow your pretty little face into a hundred pieces."

"Explosives?" Trini and Zack repeated in unison.

Jason sighed a little madly, before he gestured to his morphed friends frantically. "You guys take care of tin man; I'm gonna work out a way to stop this right now!" he called out.

He turned, the momentum of his motion almost sending him colliding into Kimberly. She flinched a little, her eyes piercing through the visor of his helmet, and he glanced back unbeknownst to her, sucking in her fear until he couldn't stand it anymore.

Jason quickly reached his gloved hands to them both and hurried them away from the battle, stopping only as he heard Kimberly's frantic voice call out to him.

"Ohmigosh…what are we going to do?" she gasped, wide eyes meeting him as he turned to face them both.

_Think Jason; Think now!_

"Just stay calm, we'll think of something," was all Jason could offer her at that moment.

"I don't understand; why are they trying to blow her up?" Tommy questioned, his face twisted into an expression of disbelief.

"It's an attempt to blackmail us out of battle and to hand you back to them, Tommy," Jason told him honestly.

Tommy frowned. "Then give me to them-."

"There has to be another way," Jason reasoned with him abruptly. The only way he would hand Tommy over to Rita, would be over his dead body. He wasn't about to put Kimberly's life to that measure, but he knew for sure there had to be another way out of the predicament.

_Rita can't be that smart…_

"I have an idea," Tommy suddenly spoke up. "You said this device drains energy from living things…" the boy spoke slowly, as though unsure if what he was saying was correct. Jason nodded, coaxing him to continue. "Can't you attach the device to that monster and then destroy it that way?"

Jason straightened up, overwhelmed with relief at Tommy's suggestion. "That's a great idea," Jason told him with genuine relief.

Tommy handed Jason the device and he searched over it as Kimberly scrambled to get the straps of her outfit back up. The mechanism was relatively small, and Jason was positive he had a chance of connecting it to Rita's indestructible monster with relative ease.

But in the back of his mind, the reminder of Kimberly's predicament crept through the temporary tips of his confidence…

If this doesn't work, this really could be the end… 

"Hey, Tyrannosaurus!"

Jason swerved around as he heard the name of his protector beast called out, and realized quickly that the alias had come from Zack. Jason could see his friends were struggling to hold back Goldar and he knew he didn't have a moment longer to wait. As it was, he was likely to be putting Kimberly in further danger by stalling. The odds were stacked up.

"Both of you, wait behind the mound there…we're going to take care of this once and for all," Jason told them, before he turned and raced toward the battle.

Rita's creature was busy being held back by Trini, and Jason took advantage of the situation by directing his stride for the creature's back. It howled madly as he approached it, sending a deadly hand his way, but Trini quickly intercepted it with a powerful combo.

"Go now!" Trini hurried Jason.

He gasped, almost out of breath and launched the device toward it. The sound of pierced flesh was unmissable, but Jason continued with all his strength, pushing on it roughly until the claws clamped into the monster's thickset skin.

"NO!" it howled wildly, thrashing angrily toward Jason, before it tried to move its lean arms to reach the device.

But it was out of reach.

Jason quickly grabbed his power sword, holding it leveled before him. As he prepared himself to attack, the creature's legs' suddenly shook, and it swayed a little. Its enraged screams were almost instantly replaced by helpless whimpers, before it fell to its knees in slow motion.

Jason centered the blade and began for it. It tore through the creature unmercifully, and he didn't stop running until he found himself only moments in front of Goldar.

The titan stepped back; the disbelief was clear on his otherwise emotionless face.

"See, I keep every promise I make!" Jason told him in a low voice.

Goldar glanced between him and the other rangers, as the four friends moved together to form an unbreakable wall.

"Until next time, rangers!" he growled suddenly, as he ran his hand over his sword, and disappeared in a wash of fiery light.

Jason sighed loudly, before he turned to face his friends. Trini didn't wait, and threw her arms around him and Jason didn't hold back, embracing her in return, before he patted his male teammates on the shoulders. It was relief all round, and Jason felt it more than he ever could have imagined.

But even in that moment, he forgot the most important thing he came for.

"Hey!" a female voice called out from behind them.

Jason quickly threw his head around, watching as Kimberly's tiny frame bounded toward them. Behind her, Tommy was limping slightly, his hand extended and revealing something shiny and familiar.

_The pink power morpher…_

* * *

The Command Center had fallen into an exhausted silence. Kimberly had her teeth clenched, as thoughts of herself blowing up and taking the entire headquarters with her repeated in her conscious. Her legs, which were dangling over the side of the medical bed, began to swing again and Billy finally put a hand on her leg. 

"Kim, stay still, please…this won't take long, I promise," he told her evenly.

She didn't respond, but quickly obliged, instead grabbing the edge of the metal bed with both hands. She heard a few clicks, feeling the blue ranger pull at the thin explosives around her waist until finally she felt them release.

Kimberly emitted a long sigh. She reached up and kissed her friend quickly on the cheek, uncaring of the fact that he'd probably find the gesture uncomfortable.

"Thankyou. So much," she whispered to him.

She quickly slid off the bed, and slipped her cardigan back on. There was a definite chill in the air, or maybe it was just the fact that she wanted to feel something close to her skin. As Kimberly fixed the bottom of her skirt, her eyes fell on the figure lying in the bed nearby.

After they had all returned to the Command Center from the Desert of Deviance, Billy and Alpha 5 had taken an unconscious Tommy to the infirmary and placed his body in the Rejuvenation Chamber. Billy had explained that the machine had been developed to assist in the advanced healing of injuries and to relieve pressure from the individual's brain during acute trauma.

To Kimberly, it just looked like a sterile, windowed cocoon.

Twelve hours earlier, he had been a stranger Kimberly hoped someone would find; yet now as she looked down on Tommy, she knew he was now so much more. They had shared a traumatic experience together- Kimberly's first attack at her own home, and her first separation from her teammates and her powers. She had been shaken to the bone, yet he had stayed strong and now she wanted nothing more but for him to get better.

"He's still resting," Billy's voice quietly spoke up from behind her, as though he knew what she was thinking.

She watched his sneakered feet step up beside her and managed a brief acknowledgement his way, before returning her dark eyes to Tommy's lifeless form.

"He's been through so much…" She sighed and folded her arms over her chest for comfort. "Is he going to be okay?"

"His body experienced trauma exceeding the normal threshold, but in another few hours his body should recover enough to return him to his parents."

Kimberly nodded, suddenly reminded of her part in the missing karate champion's case- because Tommy knew of her capture alongside him, she'd have no choice but to play victim to the media and Jason's parents' beside him.

"Kim…it might be wise if you have something to eat, to re-energize your body. It's already well after four in the morning," Billy quietly suggested after moments of private contemplation had passed them both.

She nodded half-heartedly. The last thing she felt like doing was eating. "Please tell me I don't have to eat some weird packaged space food or something," she murmured with a slight hint of humor in her voice.

Billy gave her a small smile and shook his head. "Actually, we have some potato chips left in the cupboard from our campout," he informed her seriously. "But you should rest…everything's going to be fine now. Tommy will improve; your power morpher is back in your possession, and Rita knows that no matter what, we will always fight back."

Kimberly didn't really hear him, though. "You don't think that when Tommy wakes up, that he'll somehow guess that we're the rangers, do you?" she wondered.

The blue ranger put a hand on her shoulder. "You did your best, Kim. Zordon isn't going to punish you if Tommy somehow learnt our identities."

"Thanks," she whispered, as she reluctantly left Tommy's side and headed out to see her other friends.

* * *

"Tommy, you should be resting, not unpacking." 

Tommy glanced up from the couch and reluctantly closed the open flaps of the box.

"I'm getting kinda edgy lying around," he admitted, leaning back against the fluffy chair. He was a terrible patient and he knew it more than anyone else.

His mother ran a hand over her mousy hair and shook her head, as though she were doing so to herself. "This place sure could do with a good clean," she said.

Tommy wasn't really paying attention, and instead turned the television on. He propped his feet up on the coffee table, and his mother swiftly moved toward him and squatted them down.

Tommy gave her a look. "I'm sick, remember," he said with a hint of humor.

She frowned a little, unable to see the wit. "How about I get you some aspirin…" she decided rather than asked, before she turned and headed out of the room.

Tommy closed his eyes briefly, opening them as a familiar voice grabbed him from the speakers of the television. He grimaced a little; it was the eighth time he'd seen his interview since being returned by the power rangers just the morning beforehand.

It was all such a blur.

The media had been relentless since then. Question after question overwhelmed him like the lights from the hundreds of cameras that entrapped him. By his side the whole time, Kimberly Hart, who he learnt was a freshman at Angel Grove High, spoke of the ordeal, her natural outgoing nature making the interview process somewhat easier.

Besides the questions about aliens and superheroes, the reporters all wanted to know what link he had with the fifteen-year old girl that made them the two targets of Rita Repulsa. Kimberly seemed stuck on that one; Tommy couldn't even think of a reply. Instead, Kimberly swiftly changed the subject and spent nearly five minutes thanking the power rangers for their rescue.

After, Tommy's reunion with his parents had been less emotional than he had expected, and for that he was grateful. He'd more than predicted that his parents would have moved them straight back to Los Angeles, but strangely enough, his father pointed out that aliens could fly anywhere, so there really was no point in doing that.

But of course, they asked if the aliens said why they kidnapped him…Tommy shrugged and wearily suggested it was to do with the cancelled Karate championship, but that only caused his mother to nearly put an immediate stop to his martial arts training. Tommy quickly pointed out that martial arts could possibly save his life, though, and so the argument was quickly ended.

But now that Tommy was at home, slumped lazily in the lounge room with nothing to do but act like a sick patient, he spent most of the time trying not to think about any of it. He wasn't really tired and he wasn't sick or injured. Sometimes he felt like he'd made it up. He'd seen everything with his own eyes, but that didn't make it any more real to him.

"Tommy!"

Tommy shook himself out of his thoughts at his mother's raised voice and looked up as she walked in through the archway and into the living room.

"Yeah?"

"Kimberly Hart and a friend of hers are here to see you," his mother replied, a happy glee in her eye.

Tommy tried to smile gratefully. He wasn't really in the mood for visitors, but the happiness on his mother's face changed his mind rather quickly.

As did seeing Kimberly Hart.

Draped in a floral dress, and with her neatly combed hair piled carefully into a bun, she waltzed in only slightly nervously and managed a smile as Tommy's eyes' connected with hers. She offered him a bubbly greeting, before she swiftly threw a random arm behind her and gestured to a dark-haired boy who followed her in.

"…this is my friend," the young girl announced and Tommy quickly stood up.

"Hey…" Tommy squinted his eyes a little, but the recognition flooded quickly to him and he raised a finger toward the boy. "The karate demonstration…you're Jason Scott, right?"

Jason nodded and cleared his throat. "Yeah, man…we were supposed to go for it one on one yesterday," he replied. "Guess it wasn't meant to be, huh?"

Tommy understood the disappointment in his eyes. It was rare for Tommy to come across another person who shared his commitment to martial arts, and for that reason alone, he almost automatically took a liking to the boy.

Kimberly tried to lighten the moment. "So, do you like get to keep the trophy for another year?" she joked to Tommy and he managed a quick laugh.

"Nuh…they've postponed it…I'm sure I'll have my work cut out for me," he replied honestly.

Tommy glanced around a little awkwardly, wanting to offer them a seat. His eyes fell on the boxes and scattered belongings that sat precariously along the couch, but before he could do anything about it, Kimberly spoke up quickly.

"Oh, um, don't worry about that," she rushed out, stopping and smiling almost sheepishly. "We won't stay long…I probably should be getting home soon, especially after everything…"

He nodded slightly. Maybe with even a hint of disappointment. He didn't know why.

Kimberly smiled again. "So, um, have you gotten any sleep yet? You must be pretty tired."

"Yeah, Kim told me things were pretty rough out there," Jason added.

Tommy nodded. He was still more than a little embarrassed about the entire situation. Granted, the experience he'd had at the hands of Rita Repulsa was by much certainty gravely serious at the time, but he couldn't help but feel that nobody would understand it.

Except for Kimberly. He looked at her, his ears not taking in her words, as she and Jason continued to talk. She seemed non-flustered, her eyes two welcoming ovals as they lit up almost every moment. Tommy thought back to how, even in the moments after their initial return, she had chattered away to him like they had known each other forever. Such openness robbed him of what little speech he had; she intimidated him, yet strangely, she intrigued him just as much.

They were complete opposites. But then again, he didn't connect with most girls, so he supposed that wasn't a huge surprise.

Tommy didn't even realize he was staring at her, until she stepped closer to him and waved her hand in front of his face.

He shook his head; flinched, and blinked.

Kimberly smiled again, one eyebrow raised. "You okay? You kinda spaced out there…"

"Sorry about that…I think I'm a bit out of it still…"

Another smile; softer. She smiled an awful lot. "Well, uh, we better go…" she said gently.

Jason remained motionless, as though he felt out of place. "Yeah, but uh, when you're feeling better, you should come down to the youth center…it's only like down the road, across from school. They have martial arts classes every two days or so, or you can just practice and stuff…"

Tommy nodded and smiled tightly. "Yeah, uh, sure…that sounds awesome," he replied honestly.

The two turned around, and Tommy followed them as they headed back towards the front entrance. Jason raised his hand in a small gesture of farewell and walked out, but Kimberly hesitated, spinning around as the boy in red left the two not so strangers, alone.

Her hands fidgeted, the spark in her eye nervously disappearing as they glanced at each other. "I just wanted to say thanks for everything you did at that place," she said with pure sincerity. "I'm really glad that no matter how terrible it was, that I wasn't alone…"

Tommy ran his hand over his shaggy hair and cleared his throat. He shook his head a little. "You were the one that got us out of there." He looked at the floor briefly, and then back at her. "Thanks a lot for helping me. I reckon I still would have been stuck there."

The smile returned a little and she shrugged. "I'm sure the power rangers would have saved us eventually," she stated.

Tommy nodded. "Hey, least we can say we're one of the only people that have met them…that's a pretty cool thing."

Kimberly ran her teeth over her bottom lip a little. "It's a very cool thing," she agreed. She quickly brushed her bangs behind her ear, but they fell lose again and she glanced at him almost sheepishly. "Well, I hope you settle in, okay. Like Jason said, a bunch of us hang out the youth center a lot, so if you want some people to hang out with, then you know where to find us…"

He smiled and said goodbye, watching as the brunette walked down the path from his house, before he turned and returned to the living room. Tommy had only known Kimberly for a mere two days, but already he felt like he _knew_ her.

_Maybe I should go to this youth center some time? _he thought, before he returned to the couch and turned the volume up. His life had already become a whole lot more interesting, and maybe possibly, so much more than that.

--

**Coming up Next in Episode 17 "The Deadly Sinner": **_Rita releases the 'Deadly Sinner', a creature who feeds on victims that commit any of the seven sins. But what will happen when the monster targets two of the rangers and punishes them for their supposed sins?_

_A/N- Okay, so I know it's very hard to open a lock with a pin, but I wrote it in the story anyway…don't hate me for it. lol And as always, I hope you followed and understood my writing...I tend to unleash a little too much all at once. Thanks for reading! Chanelle  
_


	18. Ep17: The Deadly Sinner

**REBIRTH OF THE LEGACY**

By Chanelle Summer

**The Deadly Sinner - Episode 17**

_Rita releases the 'Deadly Sinner', a creature who feeds on victims that commit any of the seven sins. But what will happen when the monster targets two of the rangers and punishes them for their supposed sins? _

**

* * *

**

**_Tuesday29th March 1994_**

**_Rita Repulsa's Moon Base_**

Goldar wasn't much in the mood to see Rita Repulsa that morning, but upon that thought he realized he never much wanted to be in the witch's presence. It seemed with each scathing loss she became worse- the screeching, the tears and the unfair lashings despite the majority of the disastrous plans being her idea.

So, as Goldar unenthusiastically trudged up the stairs to her highest chamber, he was doing his best to bite his tongue. He announced his arrival with not much more than a grunt and she turned, her eyes a strange tint of fear.

Not madness. Not unbounded excitement. This was very unexpected.

"You summoned me?" he finally asked.

The sorceress remained silent, until from her other side, Squatt perked up, much to the titan's annoyance. Why the queen allowed the bumbling fool to remain in existence was beyond his comprehension. Had it been Goldar's say, he definitely would have eaten the pudgy alien for breakfast by now.

"Rita is mad, because Lord Zedd sent us a communication saying we're all dead!" the alien announced, before it grabbed Baboo's arm and gazed up at him. "Oh, wait- was that just Rita or us too?"

"Silence, you fools!" Goldar growled at them both, before he stalked toward Rita. As much as he hated the bitch, he needed to know the truth; especially if the emperor of the Zedd Empire was to bundle him with the rest of the idiots on the moon base.

"What is he talking about?" Goldar asked Rita impatiently.

She glared up at him, before resting her head on the back of her throne. "It seems Zedd believes we are incapable of destroying the power rangers…" Her voice was quiet, but strangely manic and eerie at the same time. "He's now changed the specifics of our mission…we must rid earth of Zordon and his rangers within the next two earth months. Should we fail in our mission, he has sanctions in place for our executions."

Goldar narrowed his gaze. "Sanctions?" he almost hissed. "I care not for his threats, Rita!"

Squatt piped up once more. "Ooh! I'd be careful what you say, Goldar, he might kill you now-."

Goldar growled, almost to the stage of a roar, before he returned his attention back to Zedd's general.

"Lord Zedd knows nothing of our plight with Zordon's rangers'. Do you think it's merely a coincidence that he's sent us on this mission, rather than coming to destroy Zordon himself?"

Rita's lips twisted into a further scowl. She swiftly grabbed the armrests of her throne and launched herself to standing, carrying with her what Goldar knew of as her own, personal spell book.

"I have no desire to enter a discussion about this, Goldar," she spoke as she approached the guardrail of her sweeping balcony. Goldar watched as she gazed out on the water and earth laden mass below them, before she turned and faced him, holding open her book as though to show him something.

Goldar walked toward her, narrowing his gaze as his piercing eyes skimmed over the text.

"What are your plans with this?" he asked, straightening himself up.

"I shall summon the demon of the 'Deadly Sinner', and use it against the citizens of Angel Grove…I'm sure you'll agree it will have the necessary abilities to deal quite devilishly against those pathetic teenagers!"

Goldar remained quiet. Here she went again, declaring world domination. Believing a lone creature would be any different from the ones who had fallen before it. It was infuriating. But then again, as he looked at the creature in discussion, he felt a tinge of building excitement. Maybe the space witch _was_ onto a winner with this one.

_You better get it right, Rita…_

* * *

Down on Earth, Kimberly strutted through the foyer of the Youth Center, her newly spun loose curls bouncing off her back as she made her way through the entrance of the Juice Bar in search of her friends. She gazed around, and spotted them at their usual table, an unquenchable smile gracing her face as she hurried over to them excitedly. 

"Hey Kim!" Trini greeted.

Kimberly paused beside her best friend. "So, what'd ya think?" she asked, gazing around at each of her friends with open eyes.

"Hmm, something's changed about you..." Zack began, staring at her thoughtfully. He tapped his finger to his chin, before gaping at her. "Wait a minute. Is that a new outfit?"

Kimberly dropped her shoulders and huffed, dipping down in the chair beside him. She slapped him playfully on the arm before motioning to her freshly styled locks. "No," she stated clearly, "I just got my hair done. I thought I'd try curls for a little while...what do you guys think?"

Trini nodded. "I like it, I told you I always liked your hair curled," she commented.

"Won't it get all ruined and stuff when you sleep on it?" Zack asked.

The others chuckled at his naïveté, and Jason leaned over from the opposite side of the table. "I can't believe my mom gave you that much money to get that done. I thought she told you it was too expensive?"

Kimberly smiled and winked. "It's called saving, Jason," she explained to him. "I saved my allowance the past few weeks, and just got enough yesterday to get it done." she reached and over, grabbing Jason's smoothie glass and took a quick sip. "So, what have you guys been doing, anyway?"

Billy motioned to a book in front of him, "We've been completing some studying. I've been reading this rather fascinating book on linguistic anthropology."

Kimberly nodded and tried to conceal the fact that she hadn't understood what he was saying my offering him a gentle smile. Maybe the mind download was slowly wearing off, because the blue ranger seemed to mention at least fifty words a day that she still didn't understand.

"Yeah, we were actually here training with Tommy..." Jason mentioned.

Kimberly unintentionally lowered the base of the smoothie glass loudly on the table.

She sighed and leaned back in her chair. "So, um, is Tommy still here, like now?" she asked casually.

Jason tried to conceal a smile, but the mischievous twinkle in his eyes was unmistakable. She raised an eyebrow and he composed himself. "No, he's gone home I think," he finally replied.

She nodded, and returned to finishing Jason's fruit drink so that she could hide her disappointment. She was, after all, looking pretty good that afternoon and wouldn't have minded seeing the cute martial arts student while she was feeling so good.

_It's not as though any one else here notices me…_

Kimberly could see Jason had picked up on the fact that she had thought Tommy Oliver was rather good-looking and certainly 'crushable'. The fact that she'd let slip to Kath such information as the red ranger had walked into the room the night before seemed to cement that knowledge. She didn't really see any chance of anything happening between her and Tommy, but if it managed to perk Jason's interest in her, than maybe it was all a good thing.

Her thoughts continued to whirl through her mind and distracted her so much so that she barely looked up as someone dropped in the chair to her left. She casually looked up, and then unintentionally inhaled a little louder then normal when she recognized the new visitor to their table.

"Hey guys, my mom's running late, so I thought I'd come back and join you guys while I wait for her if that's okay," Tommy commented, as he placed his back pack on the table in front of him.

He turned and smiled quickly towards Kimberly and she smiled back. "I got my hair done," she suddenly announced to him. _Gees, that was subtle..._

He nodded. "Yeah, I thought it looked different," he said, but Kimberly thought he was only trying to be polite.

She removed the books from her own backpack and decided she'd join the others in a group study session. After all, she needed what little distraction she could get so that she wouldn't sit there and ogle the handsome boy for the remainder of the afternoon.

* * *

**_Wednesday 30th March 1994_**

"Jason, Kimberly, I'm leaving in fifteen. Get yourselves ready please!"

Jason loudly grunted a reply to his mother's announcement, and finished brushing his teeth. He rinsed his mouth out with a cup of water and then quickly glanced down at his watch. He couldn't work out why he seemed to be out of sorts that morning, until it suddenly dawned on him why his usual morning routine was out of whack.

_I haven't seen Kimberly this morning! _He couldn't remember a time in nearly two years that his live in friend hadn't completely hogged the bathroom in the morning, and thought it was more than odd that he'd had unrestricted access to the mirror without her feverishly doing her hair.

He casually headed to her bedroom door and knocked on it, waiting for her reply. Letting out a sigh, he shrugged and then slowly opened the door and walked in. He expected to see her seated in front of her vanity table, or packing her bag for school, but instead he found her sleeping form beneath the pink blanket on her bed, chestnut curls sprawled at the top of the bed.

"Kimberly?" he said her name casually, hoping his voice would be enough to stir her from her sleep.

He dropped his hand on her shoulder and playfully shook her. She finally moaned and mumbled something under her breath and he smirked to himself, unable to resist the temptation to annoy her further.

He dropped his hand on her head and playfully ruffled her locks and she instantly sat up. She swiped an arm out in retaliation, but the smile on his face and scowl on hers disappeared immediately as clumps of hair fell from her head, and remained in Jason's hands'.

Her eyes widened in horror and Jason could hear her inhale a large breath as her jaw dropped open. Diving forward, he clamped his palm quickly over her mouth, just in time before she let out an anguished, muffled scream.

"Shh! Be quiet!" he hissed at her.

He heard her pierced scream diminish into a quiet whimper and he slowly lowered his hand and dropped down on the side of the bed. His eyes remained on her shocked, unwavering as a million thoughts raced through his mind.

"What is going on?" she asked, noise barely escaping her lips. She reached up with shaky hands and touched her head, but the movement only allowed for more of her hair to drop to the blanket and pillow below.

"What happened?" he asked her, as he leaned forward and moved his hand gently over her hair. He ran his fingers through the disheveled locks, removing the numerous, loose clumps until it appeared that there was no more hair that would fall out.

"What happened?" she demanded back at him.

"I don't know, what the hell did you do?" he asked her confused. It appeared to him clearly now that her hair had been cut, although by the uneven lengths it looked like it had been hacked at, rather then done at a salon.

"What do you mean?" she snapped. "Why is my hair falling out?"

"'What do you mean?' You're the one who should know!" he replied. "Your hair has been cut or something-."

"Cut?" she raised her voice. "When? I had my hair curled yesterday, you know that!"

"Well, something has happened just recently, then, because from what I can see, your hair is at least six or seven inches shorter then what it was last night."

She whimpered and pushed the blanket back, dropping her legs over the side of her bed. He watched as she threw herself in front of the mirror on her vanity table, and almost immediately spun around again to face him. She covered her mouth with her hand, her brown eyes bleeding at him in despair.

"Guys, come on, I'm going in five!" Jason could hear his mother's impatient call from afar and sighed.

_What the hell are we going to do...mom will go mental at Kim if she sees her hair like that.._

He looked up as her right foot began tapping against the table. "Kim, look, I don't know what's happened, but something seriously strange has happened…mom will have a heart-attack if she sees your-."

"What am I gonna do?" Kimberly cut him off desperately. "Why did I sleep in? Why is my hair falling out? How am I going to go to school like this?" She was raising her voice hysterically and he stood up and dropped his hands on her shoulders.

"Hang on a sec," he told her, and he turned and headed for her closet. His eyes widened as he opened it up and came face to face with what looked like two hundred different outfits neatly hung in a row.

_She has her own mall in here, _he thought to himself as he quickly skimmed through the selection of garments until he found what he was searching for.

"Here," he said to her as he turned around and held out the pink top to her.

She frowned. "What? I'm supposed to wear a hood all day?"

"Wear it!" he told her, keeping his voice level. "We don't have any time to deal with this now, we've got to get to school!"

"But I can't go to school like this, something's wrong!" she wailed, throwing the top angrily on her bed.

"Alright, I'm getting in the car now, if you two don't come you will be late!" his mother's voice broke through the air.

Jason sighed and stared at Kimberly desperately. "Please," he begged her, "Just get dressed, I'll tell mom you're coming..."

She sighed at him resignedly and he left the room, jogging out to intervene his mother.

* * *

Kimberly opened her locker and leaned her forehead against the open door, a sad sigh escaping her trembling lips. She took the moment of quiet to calm her breathing before she calmly straightened herself back up and stared wide eyed into the mirror on the inside. 

It had been one of the worst days at school for her to date, and as she stared at herself, her horribly deformed hair concealed beneath the hood of her sweater, she felt herself on the urge of crying. How was she supposed to sit through a lecture on wild cats or a lesson on why earthquakes happen, after such a turbulent morning?

She had been lucky enough to get through her earlier classes without either teacher asking for her to remove her hood, but her good fortune only lasted until science when her teacher politely asked her to remove "her head gear". She had simultaneously asked for a toilet pass, and escaped long enough so that by the time she returned it was lunch, and she escaped without revealing her predicament.

"Kimberly?"

Kimberly eyes snapped open as she heard his softly spoken voice and her mind instantly went wild. _Oh no, why can't he just walk past me?_

She forced a smile and spun around, leaning against her locker casually. "Hey Tommy," she greeted.

"Hey" he said back, and she could see he was eyeing her curiously. "Ah, what's with the hood?" he finally asked.

She blinked, and then threw her hand in the air in a dismissive gesture. "You mean this? Oh, I'm just having a bad hair day," she explained, as though the concept was completely normal.

He nodded. "Oh," he answered almost awkwardly. "So um, I'm meeting Jason and Zack at the Youth Center this arvo, and I was wondering if you were going to be there?"

She blinked. "Why?" she asked him and then instantly cringed at her question inwardly.

He shifted between his legs uneasily, and ran a hand over his hair. "Um, I just thought it would be cool, you know, to hang out...I know you and-."

"Oh!" she let out her reaction a little too excitedly, "Yeah! I mean, sure, I'll be there!"

"Cool," he nodded his head casually and then stepped back. "I'll see you then," he added before he turned and walked away and disappeared around the corner.

She groaned under her breath and turned around to slam the metal door shut. _How embarrassing, _she thought to herself.

"Kim?"

Kimberly sighed and turned around, slumping her shoulders as Jason, Trini, Zack and Billy stopped in front of her. She glanced sadly at Jason and Trini before she felt her embarrassment give way to sorrow and tears slowly welled in her eyes.

Trini stepped forward straight away. "Kim, it's okay, don't cry," she tried to soothe her.

Jason cleared his throat and motioned his head backwards. "Come on guys, let's find somewhere quiet to go," he suggested.

They walked into a quiet area around the corner, and Kimberly dropped her back against the wall and tried to stop the tears that were stubbornly slipping from her downcast eyes. She looked up as she felt both Trini and Billy place tender hands on her arms, and she sniffled as they all stared back at her quietly.

"This has been the worst day," she whispered. She folded her arms across her stomach and shook her head bleakly.

"Show them your hair," Jason ordered her softly.

She sighed and reluctantly raised her hands, slowly pulling the soft lined hood from her hair. She dropped her hands and stood there uncomfortably, feeling as if she was standing in front of them all, naked.

Trini stared at her with her lips slightly apart, and Kimberly sighed miserably. "It would help if you all wouldn't look at me like that..." Kimberly finally mumbled.

Trini blinked apologetically. "I'm sorry, Kim; I just wasn't expecting it," she admitted quietly.

"You say this happened while you slept?" Zack asked, his face twisted into an expression of utter bewilderment.

Kimberly scoffed unintentionally. "Well, it's not like I would cut my hair by choice, I only had my hair done yesterday after school..." she sighed and looked at Billy, hoping the blue ranger would somehow have some scientific explanation for it. "Do you know what might have caused this, Billy?" she asked him, "Do you think it was like a reaction from something the hairdresser did to my hair? Because Kath told me she saw something on tv about that sort of thing happening a lot."

Billy moved closer to her and reached for her hair, his fingers softly moving over the uneven tresses as he seemed to inspect it. She avoided the other rangers' looks' of confusion and then glanced at Billy expectedly as he pulled back.

He sighed and shrugged. "I apologize, Kimberly, but I can't observe any evidence that you've had any kind of abnormal or allergic reaction," he confessed. "It simply appears that your hair has been cut-."

"But how?" she snapped inadvertently. He rocked back on his feet at her sudden outburst and she sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell..." she apologized.

"It's okay, Kim," he replied, "I don't know how...if you say you didn't cut your hair, then someone else must have been responsible."

Kimberly looked up at Jason and the red ranger crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "I didn't cut your hair," he told her in a low voice, "So don't look at me like I had anything to do with it."

"I wasn't thinking that," she assured him, "But you live in the same house as me, explain it to me then?"

His face remained serious. "I called Zordon after first period, just to make sure, and he said he didn't know anything about it," Jason admitted. "Which means, we're going to have to tell mom when we get home."

The bell rang at that moment and Kimberly jumped. Trini reached out for her shoulder, "Come on Kim, let's get to class," she told her softly.

Kimberly nodded glumly and Jason reached forward and pulled her hood back on her head. "Keep your chin up, Kim, we'll work something out," he promised her.

* * *

Later that afternoon saw Zack staring down at a triple layer of cookies and cream ice cream, while his eyes widened in childish delight. He licked his lips but looked up as he noticed Kimberly approach his table. His friend seemed to be a mile away and dropped down in the seat opposite him. 

She noticed the sugar treat before him and stared at him warily.

"What is that?" she asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"It's a cookies and cream triple layer sundae with nuts, fudge, syrup and pieces of crumbled honeycomb on top," he recited, before he dug his spoon into the mountain of desert and shoveled a spoonful into his mouth.

Kimberly blinked and then shook her head. "That is truly disgusting," she commented.

Zack laughed at the pink ranger's disgust and then coughed as the remainder of ice cream slid down the back of his throat. He moved his spoon towards her. "You want any?" he asked her.

She puckered her lips to the side of her face and shook her head quickly. "No thank-you."

"What's the matter, you on a diet or something?" he teased her.

She rolled her eyes. "No, I just don't feel like eating ice cream after a day like today..."

He nodded gently and motioned with his eyes to the hood still sitting on her head. "What are you going to do about that?" he asked her gently.

She shrugged. "I dunno," she admitted. "Jason is seeing if he can get me an appointment at another salon so I can at least get my hair trimmed nicely before I go home."

Zack blinked. He was surprised that Kimberly had given the red ranger such a task, knowing that his friend had no knowledge on things like hairstyles. "Why didn't you or Trini go?" he asked curiously.

"Trini already had volleyball practice and I'm too embarrassed," she replied. Her brown eyes gazed at him softly, "And, I'm kinda supposed to be meeting Tommy here at some stage..."

Zack nodded and tried to reply, but a mouth full of ice cream prevented his response and so he merely nodded. He winced inwardly as he swallowed a little too quickly and looked back at Kimberly. "Yeah, he's supposed to meet Jason and I here at..." Zack's voice trailed off as he noticed Tommy suddenly walk through the entrance ahead. He leaned over quickly. "He's here now," he whispered to Kimberly.

He sat back and smiled politely as Tommy approached their table and dropped down beside Zack. Kimberly looked as though she wanted to bury herself in a hole, and so Zack thought he would be the one to speak first.

"Hey, Tommy, how's things?" he asked.

Tommy nodded. "Yeah, not bad. I went with my mom to school today and got everything finalized with my enrollment and stuff," he replied. "She still thinks it's too soon for me to start, after everything that happened, but I just want to get out of the house."

"Cool," Zack said, "You'll have to let us know so we can show you around and stuff."

"Yeah, that'd be awesome," Tommy commented with a small smile. He turned to Kimberly, and narrowed his gaze. "Hi Kimberly, how are you?" he asked her.

She smiled and folded her arms over her chest. "I'm fine," she commented, but her voice was lacking its usual brightness.

"You're still wearing that hood..." he commented lightheartedly.

She nodded. "Yeah, well it's still the same day, so technically I'm still having a bad hair day," she responded.

He nodded and Zack watched the two glance at each other awkwardly until Kimberly finally spoke up again. "Um, I'm just going to the bathroom, I'll be back," she excused herself.

Zack smiled tightly at Tommy as the pink ranger walked away.

"Hey, what's up with Kimberly?" Tommy suddenly asked in a low voice. "She seems kinda bummed."

Zack was getting good at thinking up stories to tell. It had only been a matter of days since Kimberly and Tommy's return from Rita's clutches, and while they had all done their best to be friendly with the new boy in town, it was also making for a difficult time in hiding their true colors.

Jason wanted to be friends with him, because from what Zack could see they were internal clones and he guessed it was a dream of the red ranger's to have that in his life. Kimberly, showing an instant liking for Tommy, wanted to be friends with him because she said he was nice and they owed it to him for everything that happened. Zack agreed. They did owe him big time, and couldn't even begin to tell him why.

"Is it anything to do with what happened with the aliens?" Tommy finally asked.

Bingo. Zack buried the scoop of his spoon into his desert and nodded his head. "Yeah, I think so," he said. "Kim's Kim. She'll bounce back soon, it was just a really tough experience."

Tommy nodded. Of course he knew.

"How you been since then?" Zack asked the boy. He had a genuine interest in what affects such an incident had on everyday civilians. It was the side the rangers never really had an insight into.

Tommy seemed to shrug a bit. "I'm cool," he replied. "My mom's kinda taken it the worst, but I've been fine. Most of it's a blur, anyway."

"Well, uh, at least you got the right moves to keep yourself safe, you know what I mean?"

Tommy nodded. "Yeah, that's probably the only thing that's allowing my mom to let me out of the house alone…" he paused and looked around quickly, almost nervously. "Do you think I should maybe talk to Kimberly and see if I can help? I don't really know what to say, but…"

Zack was suddenly having an internal struggle with his morals. This boy was being genuine, and Zack was playing along, but now it was all being stretched out and plumped up. It wasn't just a fib or a simple lie to protect the truth. Now he was feeling deliberately deceptive.

He pushed the bowl of ice-cream away from him a little, not knowing how to reply now that the sweet taste in his mouth was suddenly replaced by something sour.

* * *

In the female washroom, Kimberly was wasting water and stalling time all in one go. 

She wasn't in the mood to hang out and pretend everything was normal. Thinking back, she couldn't remember a time in the last three years that she'd felt that way, but she couldn't help it. She felt ugly and confused.

Was she being too vain?

She sighed, feeling sorry for herself at the thought and glanced up as the door swung open and two familiar faces flounced in.

Megan Phillips paused and seemed to make a face as she saw Kimberly, but quickly moved her gaze and dragged her friend in front of the sweeping mirror as far away as possible. Kimberly hated the feeling that people didn't like her like that, but hey, it wasn't her fault. Her former cheerleading teammate was always sneering at her about Daniel Ferguson, as though they were competing for his attention.

Kimberly told Megan loud and clear that she could have the star quarterback. But still, Megan continued to drag out the now unspoken feud between them.

She heard Megan begin to whine, and snuck a curious glance her way as the other girl leaned her face only an inch away from the mirror.

"…Argh! I have no idea where all these pimples have come from," Kimberly heard her complain. "I bet you it was that pizza we had last night…"

"It's not that bad, Megan," her friend tried to sooth her. "You only had half a slice."

Megan scoffed. "You're just saying that…look at me, I look so ugly."

Kimberly slowly turned the tap off and tried to avoid their attention, but Megan locked her gaze on her once more. She looked like a cat ready to pounce.

"Nice hair, Kim-ber-lee," Megan purred, clicking her tongue while her eyes narrowed slightly.

Kimberly didn't respond and headed for the door, but Megan quickly stepped in front of her and glared at her.

"What's the matter? Got nothing to say?" she said almost viciously.

Kimberly pursed her lips, trying her best to remain calm. "Look, I'm not in the mood. Just move."

Megan rocked back a little and snorted. "I guess I just wasn't expecting to find you using the girl's washroom…I thought you spent most of your time using the boy's one nowadays."

The girl laughed and her friend backed her up with a gleeful smile. Kimberly narrowed her gaze and decidedly brushed past them, slamming the door unexpectedly on her exit.

_Stupid cow…_Kimberly thought, trying to gather herself. She didn't think it was nice to wish bad things on others, but she was silently pleased that Megan was suffering a physical appearance obstacle. As Kimberly saw it, she needed to be dragged back to Earth and reminded she wasn't the queen of Angel Grove High.

She readjusted her hood and began up the empty hallway, stopping only as a six-toned beep chimed from her wrist. Kimberly was still startled whenever it happened, but she was almost relieved for the distraction.

"Hi Zordon, this is Kim," she whispered into the communicator.

"KIMBERLY, THERE IS A DISTURBING SITUATION THAT REQUIRES YOUR ATTENTION. PLEASE TELEPORT TO THE COMMAND CENTER," Zordon stated.

"I'm alone…Zack's inside and I don't know where the others are," she informed him.

"ALPHA WILL CONTACT THE OTHERS. INITIATE TELEPORTATION TO THE COMMAND CENTER, IMMEDIATELY."

Kimberly glanced around. She couldn't see anyone, but she was paranoid about anyone even glimpsing her teleporting. Moving her body behind what appeared to be a freestanding white board, she moved her fingers to the relevant buttons and zapped herself away from the Youth Center.

* * *

Zack was the last to arrive at the Command Center following Zordon's contact to teleport to the ranger headquarters, and usually, that was nothing out of the ordinary. It's not that he was a late person- usually it was the other people in his life that made him late; but the black ranger found that every time Zordon contacted him, he was in the middle of something and couldn't just drop it and leave. 

So, as he arrived and by habit turned to look up as his mentor, he became a little irked by the way his teammates were staring at him.

No one talked straight away.

Zack cleared his throat and dropped his shoulders a little, before Kimberly finally spoke up.

"Zack, you're like…" she stopped, her face screwed up and Zack frowned as she continued. "What happened?"

"Zack, man, you've put on weight," Jason stated abruptly from beside her.

Zack glanced down and ran his hands over his arms, suddenly stopping as his gaze crept further down. He rushed his hands to where his well-toned stomach had apparently been replaced by a lining of flab and every inch of his baggy wife-beater and sweatpants seemed to be stretched out, desperate to hug his suddenly oversized body.

"What…" the word barely escaped, as Trini rushed over to him and Zordon swiftly spoke up.

"RANGERS; I UNDERSTAND YOUR PANIC AT TODAY'S EVENTS', HOWEVER THERE IS NOTHING RANDOM BY THEM," he announced. "RITA HAS RELEASED A MONSTER KNOWN AS 'THE DEADLY SINNER', AN ANCIENT CREATURE WHO CAN TRANSFORM INTO ANY ONE OF THE SEVEN DEMONS WHO RULE EACH OF THE SINS."

"There's a monster?" Billy spoke up, almost as though he was intrigued, more than surprised.

Zordon nodded. "THE MONSTER HAS BEEN TERRORIZING THE CITIZENS OF ANGEL GROVE IN INVISIBLE FORM, TURNING INDIVIDUAL'S SINS' AGAINST THEM."

Kimberly stepped forward a few steps and Zack watched as she hastily pulled the fluffy hood that she'd been hiding under all day. "You mean, that is the thing that cut my hair?" she gasped.

"YES, KIMBERLY," he responded, his voice unusually gentle. "AND FROM ALL OBSERVATIONS, IT APPEARS THE CREATURE HAS CLEARLY AFFECTED ZACHARY."

Zack was still speechless, but shook his head vigorously as their mentor spoke his name. "What?" he almost hissed. He was bewildered. "Are you saying this freak show has turned me into Fat Albert? Why would it do that?"

"Yeah," Kimberly piped up, her hands now resting defensively on her hips. "Are you trying to say that Zack and I have done something wrong to deserve this?" She grabbed her shoulder length hair between her fingers, as though to further her point. "What could I have done to deserve this? What about Zack?"

Billy rushed forward and turned to face them both. "Have either of you heard of the 'Seven Deadly Sins'?" the blue ranger asked them gently.

The both nodded. "Yeah, but I haven't done anything wrong…all I was doing was eating a sundae," Zack stated. "Since when was it a crime to enjoy Ernie's scrumptious deserts?"

Billy's face almost appeared frustrated by Zack's apparent lack of understanding. "Zack, eating a giant bowl of ice-cream by yourself could constitute the sin of 'Gluttony', whereby you consume an unnecessary amount of food for the purpose of indulgence."

He adjusted his glasses nervously and turned to Kimberly. "Kim, I believe your sin, the way such a demon would interpret it, would be Vanity- taking pride in oneself."

Kimberly scoffed. "Are you serious? Taking care of the way you look is wrong?" she questioned.

Billy slumped his shoulders and Jason spoke up as he walked toward them. "Zordon, how do we stop this monster?" their leader asked.

"DESTROY THE SINNER, AND IT WILL STOP…HOWEVER, I MUST WARN YOU THAT EVEN ONCE THE DEMON IS DESTROYED, ANY AFFECTS OR DAMAGE IT CAUSED INDIVIDUALS WILL NOT BE REVERSED BY ITS DESTRUCTION."

Zack blinked. Was he hearing Zordon right? Did that mean that Zack would stay this way?

Before he could share his unusually anguished thoughts, the alarm blared through the room and stole his attention. He turned knowingly and watched the viewing globe, the five rangers huddling together as it quickly illuminated.

"Is that the monster?" Trini spoke out loud, as footage of an unusual creature filled the sphere.

To Zack, it appeared to be smaller than Rita's usual creations, but far more intricate and detailed. It had four bony limbs and an oversized head that was shielded by what some would consider a beautifully decorated mask. The creature looked more like a porcelain doll, to Zack, a life-size version of something his sisters would play with.

Jason turned and faced them, his eyes resting on Zack's. "Let's deal with this demon and get rid of it…" his voice softened as he continued. "Then we'll see what we can do about all the other stuff."

They all nodded at the red ranger, Zack sharing a less enthusiastic glance with Kimberly. They quickly morphed and jetted off, and as they catapulted through the sky toward the city, Zack couldn't work out whether he wanted to cry or laugh at Rita's latest, and certainly most bizarre piece of work.

* * *

Rita was nervous. It was an uncomfortable, almost unbearable sense of dread; a fear that somehow, no matter what steps she took, she would never succeed. 

The colors that stretched across the hazy blanket of Angel Grove signaled the start. It was, as always, one against five. One ancient, demonic fighting machine against a huddle of humanoid children, who had every superhero catch except for the cape. It should be easy; it should be straightforward.

But Rita knew better. And now, more than her reputation was on the line.

Her face was permanently twisted as she watched the rangers gather themselves only whispers away from the Deadly Sinner. The impressive creature delivered his warning, and the rangers responded in their usual, singsong reply, announcing that they were the power rangers and nobody could stop them.

They infuriated her! They were so pathetic, and yet somehow she was the underdog…how on earth did she, Rita Repulsa, become the one that had to fight to stay standing?

She barely responded as she noticed Goldar approach the guardrail, his breathing louder than usual, and quite honestly annoying at a moment where Rita needed to concentrate. On her other side, Baboo and Squatt stood silently, still in shock from her verbal lashing about them interrupting her during a mission.

"The rangers appear to be in good form," Goldar commented, as they all watched the battle begin.

Rita sniggered a little, more out of nerves than humor. "They're simply riding off their confidence, Goldar," she murmured. "In a matter of moments, their façade will quickly wane…"

The rangers were fighting well. Maybe it was her imagination, but they appeared to be building in skill with each battle…their movements were tighter, their confidence more verbal and their individual talents were molding together- complimenting each other.

Jason was still the primary concern. Had he not been human and the ultimate goody-goody, Rita would have taken him for her general already, but instead, he led his own team with unflagging confidence. He was skilled. Each confrontation with the creature left a mark. And yet, somehow, through the raging struggle, he still had time to assist and attend to his teammates.

But the others were also improving, somewhat. It wasn't by leaps and bounds, but they didn't have the fear they had back two months earlier. They believed they really were unstoppable.

It continued. They were holding their own, and the Deadly Sinner was whining about Jason marking his precious mask. Damn, vain creature. Rita was seeing just how true the ancient beliefs were surrounding the seven sins- for the demon itself, seemed to be trickling from one to the next. And it was becoming heavily clear that the ancient demon's talents' did not lie in its combat ability.

Now, it was time to step in. Rita grasped her staff and stepped back, pushing her henchmen away with her sweeping, free hand. Holding the impressive wand above her, she moved it back and launched it down toward the battle, watching as its impact startled the rangers and tore through the ground before them.

"Magic Wand; make my monster grow!" Rita screamed.

It was a boost the creature needed. And just as swiftly as it grew to its mammoth size, the rangers responded in kind and called on their power zords.

"Ooh, I love it when they call their zords!" Baboo suddenly announced with almost childish glee.

Rita moved her head around and glared at him, before returning her attention half-heartedly back toward the escalated battle.

The rangers still struggled with their zords. That much, Rita could see. The battle was almost awkward, but growing in intensity. It was even, it was painful and as the rangers sent a powerful ray of explosive energy toward the Deadly Sinner, Rita turned away.

"What are you doing?" Goldar growled at her, not bothering to turn to her as he spoke.

She grabbed her head and didn't reply until she reached her throne. As Rita lowered herself, her knees slightly shaky, she heard it.

The final blow.

The end of the Deadly Sinner, and most definitely the end of her.

* * *

Jason was smiling. He was pleased and oh so silently boosted by their win against Rita's Deadly Sinner. The battle had been short and damage to the site had been almost non-existent. Any one would have considered the day to be a perfect one, especially from the point of view of a power ranger, but like always, nothing was that simple. 

There was still a lot that needed to be done.

As he stood to the side, watching his now un-morphed teammates in a strange frenzy, Jason was still inwardly relaxed. He felt an unusual curiosity in the very personal situations Kimberly and Zack had found themselves in that day, but there had to be a way to fix it, right?

Trini and Kimberly were sitting in the middle of the room, playing with the pink ranger's hair for what had seemed like way too long. They chatted about the length of bangs and volume, a language reserved only for girls, so Jason thought best to stay out of it. The last thing he needed to do was get tangled in an already sensitive issue. The others could at least say goodbye to Kimberly and return to their own lives, but Jason was the one that had to live with her.

He was instead listening to a chatty Alpha 5, when Zack finally walked in. Mid-sentence, and still looking much the same since his small weight gain that afternoon, he cruised in and then suddenly stopped before Jason looking only a little defeated.

Jason offered him his hand, and Zack slapped it back. "Billy-man reckons I shouldn't rush to join 'Jenny Craig' just yet," he commented slyly. "Maybe he's right when he says a one-pack is the new six-pack?"

Jason sniggered at his friend's joking, but Billy squared his eyes on them seriously. "I suggested to Zack that we inform those close to him that he's had some sort of allergic reaction to something he ate…the weight gain is not so much that it can't be disguised, and it seems to have focused around his abdominal area."

Kimberly and Trini had both stood up by then, and the pink ranger's eyes' suddenly lit up. "If you wear the right clothes, no body will ever notice," she said enthusiastically.

Zack seemed unconvinced. "Yeah right…maybe if I wear my ski outfit or dress up as a Jack-o-lantern…"

Kimberly puckered her lips a little annoyed and Jason tried his best to back up her sentiments.

"It doesn't look that bad…" the small ounce of hilarity was creeping through, and Jason quickly covered it. "Seriously." He cleared his throat. "With your routine, you'll lose it all in a few weeks."

Zack raised his eyes quickly and shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose so…"

In an unusual movement, Billy placed a comforting hand on the black ranger's shoulder, before he looked to the two girls. "Kimberly, I'm afraid the situation with your hair will not be rectified within such a short space of time," he announced.

Kimberly tossed her hands a little dismissively, moving from foot to foot in a nervous manner. "Whatever," she stated, clapping her hands quickly together. "Do we have a pair of scissors in this place?"

Billy nodded and Jason looked at her curiously. "Billy's great at science, and probably brain surgery, but with hair-."

Kimberly managed a smile at his joke, and the others laughed a little. She composed herself and hugged Trini around the shoulders with one arm.

"Trini said she'll try and even it up," Kimberly rephrased. "I'll just wear it up until I get to the hairdressers."

"What about Jason's parents'?" Zack reminded her.

The look in her eyes told Jason she'd already covered that base. "I'll just tell Kath that I went through a thing, and just needed a change," she explained simply. "She'll understand."

Jason watched as Billy passed Trini a pair of scissors and turned to Zack. "Let's get out of here, man. We got a lot of running to do."

* * *

Kimberly heard the sound of her pink sneakers brushing against the sidewalk and hummed a little. She was feeling quietly relieved at this moment, her afternoon certainly better than her morning and her day, quickly transformed into a not so bad hair day. 

The breeze picked up a little and Kimberly jiggled her newly styled hair in an almost childish manner, glancing over to her right as Trini reached out and ran a hand over the pink ranger's locks'.

"Wow…this feels so weird," Kimberly babbled. "I feel like I've lost about three pounds."

Trini smiled back at her, but her face quickly grew more serious. "I know you're probably upset about what happened, Kim, but I think your hair looks really great," she stated seriously. "I think you look older with that cut…and it's less brushing every night, isn't it?"

Kimberly ducked her head a little and looked thoughtfully to herself. "You know, I actually didn't think about it that way," she admitted. The pink ranger quickly got on her tip-toes as they continued to walk, and moved her arm affectionately around Trini's shoulders'.

"Thanks so much," she whispered to her best friend. "I never could have shown my face in public again, if it weren't for you."

Trini quickly hugged her back. "You don't have to thank me; us girls have got to stick together!"

They continued down the path, engrossed in chat and gossip. And for a moment - for five minutes - it felt like it used to, before the ranger suits, crazy spells and hectic schedules.

"…you know, that Tommy is really great fighter," Trini mentioned, as they started to speak about the new, mysterious boy at school. "I think even Jason might have to work harder to keep his reputation."

Kimberly smiled, but the dreamy glow she got when she thought of Tommy Oliver slipped through and Trini noticed it. Kimberly was about to speak up in protest, but the yellow ranger quickly got in first.

"You think he's gorgeous?" Trini guessed, linking her arm through Kimberly's.

Kimberly pursed her lips a little, but the small grin started and she glanced innocently to the ground. "I dunno…he's kind of tall, mysterious and handsome…"

The words continued to come out of her mouth, but she didn't hear them, nor was there any ounce of control. She didn't know Tommy- not really know him, anyhow, yet for some reason she did really like him. He showed a special kind of interest in her, being that he thought enough of her to see if she would be at the youth center that day.

He was nice, not at all arrogant and very, very good-looking. There were things missing, elements- he wasn't…Jason. But she liked him. There was nothing wrong with that. The only difference was that Kimberly could tell her best friend about her liking for Tommy.

She stopped and blushed, but realized quickly that Trini wasn't paying attention to her girly confession. Kimberly followed her wondering gaze, and noticed the tall, lean body walking up ahead.

"Tommy!" Kimberly called out, as she spotted him.

She watched as the martial art's student quickly spun around, his reflexes as fast as they were on the workout mats. He seemed to squint in their direction, but the recognition in his eyes quickly arrived and he walked tentatively toward them.

"Kimberly…where'd you go to?" he asked. Kimberly frowned a little, before he continued. "You said you were going to the bathroom, and then I didn't see you again…"

Kimberly's eyes' widened. "Oh!" she said a little loudly. "I'm so sorry…I, uh, totally forgot I had an appointment at the salon…"

She grinned a little goofily and Trini quickly continued. "Yeah, that's why Kim was covering her hair all day…her old style just wasn't what she wanted and she needed a change…"

Kimberly nodded, trying to look serious, but knowing she was probably failing miserably. "Exactly," she stated quickly.

Tommy seemed to glance at them both a little strangely, but quickly relaxed a little. "Uh, so have you two seen Zack at all? He left in a rush and he didn't look real good."

Kimberly nearly began to rub her lip with her teeth, but quickly stopped. "Uh, I think he went to the doctors or something…he uh, had an allergic reaction…" she was thinking too quickly now. "To the ice-cream, you know the ice-cream he was eating?"

Tommy's eyes' widened a little. "Whoa, really? Well, is he okay?"

The two girls quickly nodded their heads.

"So, I hear you live down Eden Street?" Trini swiftly changed the subject.

Tommy nodded. "Yeah, it's not so bad…it's quiet…close to school and stuff."

Trini shared a private smile with Kimberly. They were such an unspeakable team. Kimberly knew exactly what her Asian friend was up to.

"How about I walk the rest of the way with you? I live just around the corner," Trini offered the boy.

Tommy nodded and Kimberly waved goodbye to her friends as they walked off in the opposite direction. She was suddenly alone, but that didn't bother her that much. She did need the time to think, especially after such a hectic day.

And as scenes from the relatively easy battle with the Deadly Sinner replayed in Kimberly's conscious, she found herself zoning out, only to be pulled back to reality by the most familiar voice to her.

She stopped and turned around, smiling at Jason as he jogged to reach her. Kimberly crossed one foot over the other, watching with seeming delight as he grinned back at her playfully.

"Wow, I almost didn't recognize you…" Jason admitted.

They slowly began walking side by side and Kimberly tried her best to smile.

"Is that a good or a bad thing?" she asked quietly.

"Well…" he held off, as though to tease her and she pouted.

Jason laughed, and playfully ruffled her hair. "Can't say it looks that great now," he joked.

Kimberly opened her mouth and mock-glared at him. "Thanks for that!" she exclaimed, slapping him playfully on the arm before rushing her hands up to fix her hair. "You're supposed to be making me feel better about this, not worse!"

Jason tried to regain a sense of seriousness, but the mischievous twinkle in his eyes remained. "Hey, at least you don't have ten pounds to lose. Hair is hair…it always grows back."

Kimberly nodded to herself, and in realizing the consequences for Zack, she appreciated that ending the day with a shorter hairstyle wasn't worst thing in the world.

It was just hair. Maybe, in some backwards way, it would work out for the best. A signal of the changes in her life.

"But seriously, Kim, your hair looks good," Jason quietly spoke up.

Kimberly looked up at him, searching for any wit, but all she found was sincerity; the same warming encouragement smile as always. At that moment, she realized just how much she was grateful for her leader's friendship. He always got her out of every sticky situation, and as clichéd as it sounded, she felt healed by his every word.

They would be best friends forever, right? And if they were, surly that would be enough.

He suddenly made an almost snorting sound and she flinched in a guilty response.

"You've been doing that a lot, lately," was all he said.

She widened her doe eyes. "What?"

"Zoning out. What are you thinking about?"

"No one," she said too quickly, before allowing herself even a moment to think of her response.

Jason took pleasure in her slip-up. "You're such an airhead sometimes."

Kimberly widened her mouth in protest, but before she could respond, Jason started to sprint, knowing he would pay the price if she caught up to him. She shouted out her threat and quickly took off after him, contemplating the idea of teleporting home and surprising the socks off him.

---

**Coming up Next in Episode 19 "Carnival of Carnage": **_The rangers attend the annual Angel Grove carnival, excited about the fun filled day. Kimberly and Tommy find themselves in a difficult situation and Kimberly is once again pressured to keep her identity hidden from him while the others discover there is more than something spooky lurking in the haunted house ride… _

_A/N: Okay, I wasn't happy with this chapter so I've called it the 'nothing much happened' chapter. I tried to reason that not every chapter can be emotionally draining or action packed, so this was one of the easy-go-by ones. Zack's side of things will be dealt with in more depth in later chapters and we'll see then how this chapter's events' will influence his life then. The chapter that was planned to follow this one, has been changed to 'Carnival of Carnage', purely because the one I had written and planned originally has been somehow deleted from my computer while I was in hospital. Anyway, I thank anyone who is still reading this far in the story and thanks for being so loyal. Have a great day! Chanelle._


	19. Ep18: Carnival of Carnage

**REBIRTH OF THE LEGACY**

By Chanelle Summer

**Carnival of Carnage - Episode 18  
**

_The rangers attend the annual Angel Grove carnival, excited about the fun filled day. Kimberly and Tommy find themselves in a difficult situation and Kimberly is pressured to keep her identity hidden from him while the others discover there is more than something spooky lurking in the haunted house ride_...

* * *

**Saturday, 9th April 1994 **

"Step up! Step up! Every winner gets a prize!"

The man, who was dressed in a brightly colored comical suit and patent leather shoes practically jumped in front of Kimberly and shoveled the microphone in front of her face.

"And what about you, my dear? Care to give it a shot, eh?"

Kimberly glanced over her shoulder at her friends and tried not to burst into laughter. She squirmed her face up a little and shook her head.

"No thank you, I have somewhere to be," she told him, as she proceeded to move around him.

The sideshow worker shot his arm out, however, and once again put the microphone in her face.

"What about your little friends? I'm sure they'd like to try and win you a soft toy…"

Kimberly burst into giggles, and lifted her hand to her mouth. Zack stepped up beside her and rested his elbow on her shoulder.

"Kimberly's already got enough soft toys," the black ranger murmured at the man, before the group of six finally pushed past the human barrier and into the open food court.

"Talk about pushy," Kimberly stated with a light frown as they weaved their way through the crowd of carnival goers. "Anyone wanna get some fairy floss?" she asked, as she spun around to face her friends.

"Count me out, my mom's already said she can't afford to take me to the dentist for another year," Zack joked.

Kimberly shrugged and headed over to the nearby mobile ferry floss counter and brought herself the biggest stick she could get. Ordinarily, she wouldn't try to stuff herself completely with such a sugary snack, but she only had the chance to buy authentic fairy floss once a year, and so she was going to make the most of it.

Angel Grove hosted the traveling carnival every April, and during the two weeks of its stay, nearly everyone in the city and surrounding areas flocked to visit. It housed the more traditional rides like a Ferris Wheel and Bumper cars, but mostly the more popular, thrill seeker rides always had long waits in queues, which Kimberly hated.

So, she enjoyed munching on her pink snack, letting the sugar dissolve on her tongue as she waited in line for the Haunted House ride. Zack had declared that since it had only a small line, that it should be the first ride to go on, rather than them all waiting forever to get on the Paratrooper, which Jason wanted to go on first.

"I don't get what's supposed to be so scary about haunted rides, anyway," Kimberly chattered as the group before them disappeared through the entrance.

"It's supposed to be a psychological thing," Trini told her.

Zack chuckled to himself. "Yeah, right…like freaky thing in the dark are anything to be scared about when you consider-."

"Zack!" Trini suddenly burst out. Kimberly watched the yellow ranger eye him with stern eyes, discreetly motioning in the direction of where their new friend Tommy stood at the start of the line.

Tommy appeared to be too busy talking to Billy about something, however, and was completely oblivious to Zack's near ranger-slip. Kimberly watched the reserved boy from her short distance, unable to hear his words, yet quietly enjoying the sound of his voice. He was still a mystery to her, and she felt there were so many things she wanted to know about him.

_If only he'd be more…forward…_

He noticed her staring and his dark eyes drifted her way. Kimberly removed her glance at that same moment and turned unexpectedly to her other side, almost crashing into Jason.

"Hey," Jason smiled at her, putting his hand out to stop her from falling over.

Kimberly embarrassingly ran a hand over to smooth her hair and returned a smile to the red ranger. "Sorry…guess the sugar's going to my head…"

He nodded. "You know, if you're gonna find this ride scary, maybe you should wait for us all outside?" he said with a mischievous glimmer in his eyes.

Kimberly pulled a face, but before she could respond in like sarcasm, a sudden shriek from nearby made them all turn their heads.

The pink ranger's face drew serious, as she spotted a small group of teens exit the Haunted House ride. Two of the girls appeared to be crying, while their other two friends were loudly wailing about something. Kimberly tried to hear what they were saying, but she could tell from the tone in their high-pitched babbling that they were all highly distressed over something.

Zack looked over his shoulder to Kimberly and Jason and raised an eyebrow. "Maybe this ride won't be bad after all?"

Kimberly glanced at Jason, concealing a grimace. The last thing she needed was to start bawling her eyes on the baby ride of the carnival.

* * *

Tommy was having a much better time than he had anticipated. When Jason had initially invited him along with the group to hang out at the carnival for a day, Tommy had an almost instant urge to decline. He liked carnivals, but he had a feeling that Jason and Zack were both daredevils and would try to get him on every sickening high ride there was. 

He didn't want to have to admit that he had a dislike for heights.

Being strangely perceptive, Kimberly had seemingly guessed the reason for his reluctance, and volunteered a story about how Trini was also afraid of heights. Tommy couldn't help but feel touched by her genuine desire to convince him to join them, and he found himself saying 'yes'. Just like that.

She had a tendency to sway him with such ease. Actually, all of his new friends had a similar way with words. Jason and Zack were both competitive and boisterous, yet lacked the egos and cockiness that so many of Tommy's former friends' had back in Los Angeles. They'd jibe him to the end of the day, but without the nastiness. He had no idea that teenagers could be that nice.

The girls were both the typically joined at the hip best friends, with their matching friendship bands and constant whispering and giggling. Tommy noticed that Trini mentioned her family often, usually referring a lot of stories to her Chinese heritage, while Kimberly never seemed to mention home at all. The petite brunette instead preferred to ask Tommy as many questions as possible about him. Bubbly to the end, she naturally ended up following anything he said with another question.

And boy, could she squeal.

Back to the present, and Kimberly let out another sharp and piercing shriek, flinching so sharply that she ended up jammed against Tommy on the bench seat of the Haunted House ride. From behind them, Jason and Zack were too busy laughing at her to react to the fake goblin that had suddenly jumped in front of their carriage.

Tommy looked down as Kimberly straightened herself up as quickly as she had drove toward him, and his leg was left with goose bumps. He didn't think it was because he was scared, either.

Kimberly pursed her lips, mumbling something under her breath as she half glared at nothing in particular.

Tommy smiled at her embarrassment. "Yeah, that one came from nowhere," he offered her, trying to dispel at least some of her humiliation.

She looked at him, and the edge of her lips twisted upwards slightly. "Sorry I kinda tried to kill you there," she said to him.

He shrugged. "It's okay," he reassured her.

Their heads both snapped forward as they heard a waterfall effect of strangled screams coming from further up in the ride. Kimberly's eyes' widened in trepidation, as her front teeth began to obsessively run back and forth over her bottom lip. Her pink tipped fingers grasped around the metal rail across their waists, before she centered her doe eyes on him.

"Is it just me, or is this kiddy ride really freaky?"

Another burst of screams washed through the darkened tunnel, and Tommy waited until they drowned away before he replied.

"I've never heard so many people scream on one of these rides before," he told her seriously.

Suddenly a dark figure leapt out from the side. It's gloved hands trickled over Tommy's head, before it disappeared once again. Behind him, Jason and Zack both yelped out themselves, and Tommy inwardly called out himself. It was just a kiddy ride, right?

"When is this ride going to end?" Kimberly murmured quietly, her hands still wrapped around the railing.

As if on cue, their carriage suddenly halted from its low speed, the iron wheels whining on the metal track below them. Tommy assumed it must have been part of the ride, but the moment soon extended far beyond anything he could consider to be comfortable.

"Do you think we can just get off here and find an exit?" Kimberly whispered, as they remained motionless.

Jason leaned over from his seat behind them and caused her to jump. "You guys scared?" he asked them in a light-hearted voice.

Tommy chuckled a little in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Least we got our money's worth on this one," he commented.

"Hey Kim, you crying yet?" Zack teased out loud.

Kimberly rolled her eyes and tried to turn around in the strangling seat. "No," she emphasized in a bold voice. "You guys jumped just as much as I did."

Zack chuckled. "I think Jason wet his pants-."

"What?" Jason frowned, and swiftly locked his arm around the African-American's neck. "You're the one who shrieked like a baby…"

Tommy laughed at the display, but suddenly lurched forward as the train awkwardly began down the tack once more. He glanced over at Kimberly with a curious eye, before a strange movement flickered in the corner of his other eye.

He moved suddenly, trying to catch a second glance- the white face was lost in the darkness, and he settled back in the chair.

"Yo, what's the matter, Tommy?" Zack asked, as a burst of spooky sound effects drifted through the near by speakers.

Tommy frowned, but tried to conceal his confusion. "Nothing," he replied. "I just thought I saw some weird person in a clown suit…"

Kimberly glanced up at him with wide eyes. "Please tell me if it's going to jump out and scare us," she whispered to him.

He tried to smile. Although he felt a little silly about the whole scenario, he was secretly enjoying the opportunity to sit so close against the scared Kimberly Hart.

* * *

Rita laughed. She hummed amusedly to herself once more, before sniggering again. It was perhaps rather pathetic of her, but she enjoyed watching her teenage enemies squirm like a pack of frightened children. 

She was looking forward to ruining their day. Impressed with Finster's choice of monster, there wasn't so much thought of destruction, but more so of being annoying. Irritating the little brats was the only thing she seemed capable of, anyway.

"Why do you let Finster have so much control?" Goldar asked, as he attempted to glance through her viewing scope.

Rita narrowed her gaze and pushed him away. "I wanna look!" she snapped at him.

"They have that boy with them again," Goldar grumbled. "Perhaps I should go down there and-."

"You'll do no such thing!" Rita countered. "The last thing I need is any of your airheads going down there and spoiling my day!"

Goldar growled and spun away with frustration, while Rita returned to return to her viewing pleasure.

* * *

Jason would never admit it, but he was more than grateful when they got the opportunity to get off the terrible Haunted House ride. When he thought about it, he knew it was rather childish to feel afraid of something so 'docile' compared to the reality of their lives, but if he were being honest, he'd felt _something_ on the ride. It wasn't fear, but it made him feel more uncomfortable than he could bear. 

Zack wasn't letting it on, either. "So, who wants to go on the 'Tornado' next?" he asked immediately with heightened enthusiasm.

Jason slapped his friend's extended hand. "Count me in."

"Count me out," Trini countered, glancing over at Billy. "I thought we could go on the dodgem cars?"

Zack seemed to give a face. "And just how many baby rides to we have to go on before we get to the real deal?"

"Hey, the dodgems could be cool," Jason offered honestly.

Zack narrowed his eyes jokingly. "You disappoint me, big boy."

They walked around a queue for one of the bigger rides, and Kimberly suddenly stopped as they reached the non-existent line to the Ferris Wheel.

"So, who wants to come on the Ferris wheel with me?" she asked hopefully.

Zack blew a burst of air though his lips. "That's even worse than the dodgem cars, Kim."

She pouted a little. "The views are awesome," she tried to persuade him.

Jason was about to speak up and say he would go, when she suddenly shot her gaze to Tommy. "How about you, Tommy?" she asked with shining eyes. "I bet you've never seen Angel Grove from up above."

Tommy didn't reply straight away, but in realizing that everyone was suddenly looking in his direction, he swiftly cleared his throat and casually offered her a "sure, that could be cool."

Jason hid his disappointment and buried his objections in his mind, as they promised to meet up in twenty minutes. The walk to the dodgem cars was long and almost frustrating through the weaving maze of sideshow stalls and small crowds of visitors hypnotized by acts of supposed magic.

As they reached the front of the fast moving line, Trini and Billy immediately hopped in a car together, and Jason was forced to give up the driving seat to Zack, who seemed intent on ramming their teammates like a crazed maniac.

The black ranger let out a mock-cackle as the ride started up. The sound and blinking lights was intoxicating and Jason caught onto his best friend's enthusiasm by the time they were zooming around the outer edge of the driving square.

"Look at those two…all they're missing is their training wheels," Zack joked in his ear, as they watched Billy casually driving up the other side of the ride.

Jason sniggered at the comment. "Trust Billy to follow the rules, even on a ride," he said, referring to the huge sign above that warned them that rough bumping was not allowed.

Zack grinned even further. "Well, let's go and gently bump them," he enthused, pretending to move the vehicle into it's highest gear.

_Ram!_

Jason and Zack both lurched forward as their car was suddenly hit from behind. Jason threw a glance over his shoulder, narrowing his gaze with a hint of annoyance as he recognized two adults dressed in clown-like costumes in the guilty vehicle.

They zoomed around them, and drove off in a loud, arrogant chain of laughter. Zack scoffed and tried to follow them, but quickly slowed down as they came up behind a blue car with two small children.

"Let's get them back," Zack said, as they both kept their gaze on the bright yellow vehicle.

They watched as it quickly moved toward Trini and Billy's green vehicle and launched it toward them, a loud thud sounding, before a second, louder noise racketed through the carnival music.

"Okay, go after them now!" Jason said, as the vehicle on target tried to do a u-turn.

Jason frowned as he came face to face with it's occupants, wondering with heightened curiosity why two people who clearly worked at the carnival were spending their time harassing visitors in such a way. They were both draped in the usual clown outfit- candy colored curls on top of a brightly made up clown masks and matching parachute overalls.

They seemed to laugh as Zack tried to launch their car toward them- Jason couldn't see their faces, but he could definitely tell they were male.

It was on for young and old.

"Hey, you think you can ram us around?" Zack jibed, as he thrusted the steering wheel sharply to the left. The car didn't respond quite as quickly and Jason concealed an amused grin as the enemy car quickly caught them in the corner.

Zack laughed, enjoying the game. "Hey, why don't you keep it fair?" he suggested in a cheery voice.

Jason frowned. "Yeah, don't you know how to reverse?" he added, as the two dressed-up occupants remained still, their car not moving even an inch.

_What is the matter with these weirdos?_

Jason was about to alert the ride operator, when an eerie laugh sounded from the driver of the other car. The out-of-place outburst dragged on and heightened in sound, until a sudden voice interrupted the standoff.

"Hey, keep it flowing," a man suddenly shouted in their direction from the ride's consol.

"Yeah, move it," Jason warned them.

The clown behind the wheel suddenly reached for its neck, clawing at the bottom of its mask with its gloved hand. Jason quickly glanced at Zack, but neither had a moment to undo their seatbelts, before its mask was pulled from its head and the face beneath it became hauntingly clear.

"Putties!" Zack stammered, as they both desperately pulled at the restraints, the candy-world around them suddenly engulphed like all the youth-destroying months that had proceeded.

* * *

Kimberly swung her legs lightly as the slightly covered rotating chair floated over the lively carnival below. The breeze was fresh from the peak of the Ferris Wheel, and like a young child, the pink ranger found herself grinning into the face of the sun like she didn't have a care in the world. 

She closed her eyes momentarily and then opened them again as the chair started on the descent.

"Isn't the view great?" she said loudly, as she slowly turned her head to look at Tommy and started to giggle as she noticed his eyes were closed tight.

"You're missing the view," she said, as she leaned toward him.

His eyes opened quickly and he smiled rather tightly as she brushed his hand lightly with hers. "It's only a Ferris Wheel," she reminded him.

He nodded a little too quickly. "Yeah…it's great," he stammered.

She smiled playfully. "You know, you should have told me if you didn't want to come on here with me…I could have sat here, all alone, by myself…"

She raised an eyebrow to further her point and he finally smiled a little.

"I guess I haven't been on anything this high for a long time," he admitted.

"How long have you been scared of heights?"

The chair began again on its ascent and Kimberly could see the muscles in his neck flex in response. "Since I was a kid…my mom and dad are both the same."

"Really? I never would have guessed that…you know, my uncle, he's a pilot in LA and he always used to take us flying during summer break and stuff. I think that's the reason why I love the sky so much." She swung her feet again and leant her head against the back of the chair.

"If you like heights, then why wouldn't you go with the others on the Tornado?" he asked her as he portrayed a valiant effort to not appear freaked out as they floated over the top again.

She smiled a little sheepishly. "I hate fast rides like that. They make me dizzy…I love coming on the Ferris Wheel because no one else is ever on here. And you get to see the awesome view of the city, and the ocean…"

"You mentioned you lived in LA a while back…why did your family move you back to Angel Grove?"

It was such an innocent question, but as he asked it, Kimberly wished that he hadn't. For the first time in her short life she had begun to make a friend who knew nothing of her past. She could relish being her, without all the problems, the rumors or the issues. She knew she was being stupid- after all, if she really wanted to be Tommy's friend, then he would find out sooner or later.

_But why now…why do we have to do **this **now?_

"You mean you don't know?" she asked quietly, her eyes still out on the distanced view.

She could see his face draw confused in the corner of her eye, and she looked at him gently. "It's kind of a long and complicated story," she admitted. "When I was twelve, my parents…died when our house burnt down."

Tommy's face seemed to freeze, as Kimberly's words froze in her throat. It was for those very reasons that she hated mentioning Her defining story. All it ever did was make everyone else feel awkward and sorry for her.

"Whoa," he said quietly. Kimberly could tell he'd apparently momentarily forgotten his fear of heights, because he was leaning slightly forward now.

_Say something…_

"Hey, I'm sorry about that."

She shook her head. "It's okay…it was a long time ago…"

Tommy didn't look convinced. "That must have been hell…" A pause. "So your uncle looked after you?"

Kimberly was about to respond, when a sudden raise of panic sounded from above the usual carnival noises. Screams seemed to be coming from all directions, and were clearly not the types coming from girls clinging to their boyfriends on the Zipper. Kimberly swung her head over the edge, almost speaking out loud as she spotted the cause of the chaos below.

"It's those putties!" Tommy stammered from beside her, clearly alert to what was suddenly taking place in the carnival below.

Kimberly watched as the numerous putties chased the carnival goers in a zombie, menacing way. Her eyes searched frantically for any glimpse of her friends below, when she suddenly noticed a lone putty stalking toward the control booth for their circular ride. The operator was obviously scared out of his wits, because he suddenly fled from the canopied booth, causing the ride to come to a slow and rattling stop.

"Wait!" Kimberly called out hopelessly, her cry for help lost amongst the compounded chaos below.

She slumped against the back of the bench seat and looked at Tommy.

"What are we going to do?" she asked him, and as she spoke so desperately, the six-beep alert chirped from her communicator.

She shoveled her hand quickly under her thigh, relieved that Tommy appeared to be too busy working out how they would get off the ride to hear her communicator. The familiar 'war tune' beeped once more, and Kimberly jammed her wrist under her even further, only this time, her fidgeting caught Tommy's attention.

"It's okay, don't panic," he attempted to sooth her presumptuously. "I'll work out a way to get us off here."

_Argh, why does this always happen to me? I swear Rita's doing this totally on purpose! Can we not have a normal day where something doesn't happen to ruin it?_

She sighed and looked over the side of her seat once more. Like so many times in the proceeding months she found herself in a hopeless situation, which she was powerless to stop.

* * *

"Damn it, Kim. Answer!" Jason hissed under his breath, as he threw his hand down in frustration, just in time to knock back an oncoming putty. 

His forceful foot sent the colorfully adorned warrior falling backwards, and Jason moved to finishing him, before he circled his position one last time.

"You clowns are starting to get on my nerves," he murmured under his breath as he broke into a sprint to the nearby fun booth, knocking over the rows of soft toys behind it in the process.

Three putties followed the red ranger without a pause, and Jason grabbed one of the hooks from the booth and swung it around, swiping the three mindless putties to the ground. They each shot back up and Jason dived to the side, sending them all through the flimsy back wall of the stall.

As Jason tried to gather himself off the ground, he found himself being flung thoughtless to the side as the carnival goers continued to trample from the fun park with little thought or calm. Jason knew the rangers had to get everyone out of the vicinity, but he also knew the situation was getting severely dangerous with people risking injury in their urgency.

"What the hell is Rita up to?" Jason whispered to himself in frustration. Why he even bothered to lower his walls was beyond his comprehension now- he felt more than foolish that he could even think that they could have a day of fun without the witch doing her best to keep them on their toes.

He dodged clumps of people and became almost delirious in the mass of flailing arms and spinning legs, before a familiar face caught his balance. Zack seemed to be making more of a mess, then actually taking care of the two costumed putties, but even despite his failings, he managed an almost goofy grin as Jason raced over to help.

"Good of you to join the groove," Zack grunted, as he clumsily shoveled the first putty into a nearby table which collapsed loudly under the impact.

Jason caught his voice. "Zack, have you seen any monster?" he called out hopefully, as he swiftly kicked back a putty from the side.

Zack reached to his side and grabbed hold of a flimsy upright umbrella, sending the object towards the warrior behind him. The black ranger flipped backwards and succinctly kicked both legs in the air, sending another one to its demise.

Jason was about to check on his friend, when he spotted Trini and Billy weaving towards the pair from up ahead.

"Have you guys seen Kimberly?" Jason asked them, as Trini grabbed hold of his arm in a breathless manner.

She grabbed her chest with her hand. "This is bad," she stated, big breaths in between each word. "People are getting hurt."

"Guys, we need to make sure that there isn't a monster lurking around here," Jason told his teammates.

"Right," Zack agreed. "We should go and make sure everyone is out, first."

Jason nodded, and the four rangers decided to split into pairs. He followed Zack towards the front entrance, relieved that the crowd appeared to have dispersed quite well. They swiftly dodged between the rows of bright tents and scatterings of litter and trash on the ground, before deciding the area was deserted.

"We should contact Zordon," Jason mentioned, as he grabbed on Zack's arm to slow him down.

Zack suddenly pointed forward. "I can see Trini and Billy up ahead- let me get them so we can go to the Command Center."

Jason nodded and watched as his best friend raced off ahead, before he raised his arm. He could feel a sting in his tricep, but pushed the pain aside- how he wished his body would get used to being repeatedly subjected to violent outbursts on a daily basis.

_Damn it, I wonder where Kim went to? _Jason suddenly thought, as he remembered the pink ranger. He hoped that she had gotten somewhere safe, but couldn't help but worry about all the trouble that seemed to follow her and Tommy around.

"Zordon, do you read me?"

A pause. "Yes, Jason, we read you!" Alpha 5's voice burst through the tiny speakers. "Our monitor's are going berserk- Rita has sent a group of around fifty putties by our count, but the energy of darkness is so intense that there must be a monster somewhere-."

"Do you know what this monster looks like?" Jason unintentionally cut him off. "Anything…where he might be?"

"Jason," Zordon's voice boomed with as much authority as usual. "I believe that Rita has sent down a monster that takes on the appearance of a possessed clown…it exists in shadows, and while it is a capable warrior, it also produces a feeling of fear, much similar to the creature you faced to rescue your parents."

Jason's mind instantly flashed back to the mission- the battle with the hideous creature that had locked their parents up in an inescapable existence of intense fear. Rita sure as hell wasn't original, but boy she knew how to stuff things up.

"Can you locate the monster on our scanners?" Jason finally asked.

"It appears he may be located in one of the carnival's rides'; one that is immensely dark…"

Jason glanced up as Zordon's sentence blurred from his ears and he unconsciously dropped his arm. His brown eyes instantly darted up the trail his friend had left and suddenly locked on him in the distance up ahead.

"The Haunted House ride…" Jason murmured out loud.

His stomach sank as he watched his three friends disappear in the house of horrors, and he began after them without hesitation, wondering what terror would await them inside.

* * *

Still floating far above the chaos below, Kimberly remained sitting beside Tommy on the stalled Ferris Wheel. As though meant to be, the wind was slowly blowing with more force, and she could see Tommy's neck flex as their chair squeaked and whined as it awkwardly swung around. 

"It looks like everyone has left," Tommy pointed out.

Kimberly leant over the bar in front of them, surprised as her friend shot a protective arm in front of her shoulders.

She smiled a thankyou, despite the unnecessary concern. "Maybe if we call out for help, someone will come and help us?" she suggested.

Tommy glanced at the ground below and Kimberly could tell he was unconvinced. Swarms of putties remained at the base of their ride, as though they were waiting to pounce at any moment.

_Damn the stupid rules about keeping our identities secret, _Kimberly thought with frustration.

Tommy leant back in the chair, gently pulling Kimberly on her sleeve until she followed suit. "I think if we just stay here, then everything will be okay," he decided. "The power rangers have always said that they'll come and help as soon as they can."

_Oh, great. Sure. Especially when one of them is stuck sitting on a Ferris Wheel beside you!_

Kimberly let out a small gasp, as she felt their hanging chair shake more forcibly then any blow of the wind could cause. She shrieked as she felt it a second time and unconsciously grabbed for Tommy's hand as she threw her glance over the edge of their seat.

"They're climbing up!" Kimberly let out loudly, her mouth remaining in open as she watched the group of putties begin to climb up the side of the skeletal ride.

She might have been imagining it, but the sun-kissed color in Tommy's skin seemed to drain with her words. She couldn't begin to comprehend the horror he must have been feeling at that moment. Faced with a fear that had plagued him his whole life, and a situation with creatures that seemed to be relentlessly stalking him on any opportunity.

_Well, if he doesn't suspect I'm a power ranger by the time this is over, I should win an award for luckiest girl alive-_.

"W-whoa!" she let out unexpectedly once more, gripping onto Tommy's hand tighter.

She was about ready to do it. Throw away the ranger code, and all the other promises, in order to save Tommy from injury, or even worse, possible death.

_No_. That thought was enough to put a chill in her spine. She couldn't let something like that happen to him. Not after everything they'd already been through.

"Quick, we've gotta climb down."

Kimberly gazed at Tommy almost in a daze, but as she watched him fumble with the lock on their safety bar, she realized she'd heard him right.

"What? We can not do that- I mean, we could totally fall off and snap our necks," she reasoned in disbelief.

He looked at her, his eyes more steeled than she had ever witnessed. "If we don't move now and those things reach us, they'll probably throw us to our deaths in the blink of an eye."

The latch flicked open and he pushed the bar tentatively away from them. Kimberly wasn't remotely afraid of heights, but she suddenly felt very vulnerable as she sat unprotected at the unsavory height.

Tommy was amazing. Actually, he nearly took Kimberly's breath away as he took control of the situation and started the awkward decent without a breath of fear about it. He must have been afraid- but whatever anxiety he had he seemed to push aside as he clung onto the intricate poles and wires and carefully abseiled towards the bottom.

"Watch that putty," Tommy spoke up at Kimberly as they both tried to keep themselves distanced from the menacing creatures.

"We're nearly there," Kimberly gasped out, as she reached the bottom tier.

Tommy let go and landed steadily on his feet, before he flung his head up in her direction.

"Let go, and I'll catch you," he offered her.

She looked down at him. His uncovered arms were well wide open, while his brown eyes were coaxing her to trust him.

She braced her knees for the landing. The air whooshed out of her as Tommy caught her awkwardly under the arms, but she was uninjured at least, and they were both safely on the ground.

"Come on," Tommy urged, as he clumsily grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the exit. She let her feet follow his for a while, before she gradually allowed her hand to slip from his. As he ran around the corner of the dodgem cars, Kimberly inwardly gulped, and swiftly broke in the opposite direction.

Gulping hot, flustered breaths, she ran until she heard the voices of her teammates from the Haunted House Ride. She came to a stop, and fumbled at the inside of her waistband, prying her morpher free and held it high above her.

"It's Morphin time!" she declared, careful to keep her voice as low as possible.

* * *

That awful feeling choked Jason as soon as he pushed his morphed body through the rigid doors of the Haunted House ride. Beneath him, he could feel his feet struggle to grip the metal tracks, but he quickly jumped onto the narrow walkway beside them and took a deep breath. 

He could feel it. It felt so much like fear, and exactly the same as the feelings he had tried to bury as he'd ridden the usually harmless ride with his friends maybe half an hour earlier. Suspense…the feeling that something was about to jump out on you.

Jason swallowed the excess saliva in his mouth and slowly walked blindly along the dark path. The furry wall traveled beneath his hand as he tried to guide himself, feeling wary, feeling pathetic.

"Jase!"

Jason stopped suddenly and flung his head to the left.

"Guys?" he hissed back, trying to cover the slight tremble in his voice. "Where are you?"

"On the other side of the tracks," Trini's voice whispered back.

"Why did you come in here?" Jason asked, as he jumped blindly onto the tracks. "You should have waited until we spoke to Zordon and got some sort of heads up."

"We didn't have a choice- we didn't want to lose it and-."

Zack's words' stopped suddenly as a stream of light suddenly shot through the dark tunnel like a laser beam. It washed away the darkness in spectacular fashion, but the sudden trembling of the tracks beneath him was enough to tell him exactly what was happening.

_The train! _

"Jase! Grab my hand!" Zack suddenly shot his arms down and roughly dragged Jason up to the higher platform.

Jason scrambled his legs quickly and slammed his body hard against the wall as the train quickly made its way along the track. The automatic doors quickly slammed shut, wiping away any light they had offered, but the darkness was quickly overcome by the eerie and constant sound from the ride's unusual occupants'.

"Guys, let's split up- break up this mob of putties as soon as possible- I'm going to walk up this platform to see if I can find Rita's boogeyman…he's hiding here somewhere."

"Sound's like a plan," Zack grunted, as he quickly leapt on the approaching train carriage.

"Be careful!" he heard Trini's voice echo as he quickly began away from the altercation.

It was unnerving how loud the putty battle was, despite any distance Jason made. He knew the darkness was putting his senses off, but after walking a fair distance without discovering anything but walls or tracks, Jason decided to play it smart and raised his wrist to speak into his communicator.

_Crack!_

Jason instantly swung around, immediately assuming his defensive stance as the nervous pattering of footsteps sounded in his direction. As his tinted gaze peered through what little light he had, Jason quickly recognized the approaching figure and straightened himself up.

"Where have you been?" he hissed at Kimberly, as her sleek body weaved toward him.

She sighed loudly. "I was stuck on the stupid Ferris wheel with Tommy," she replied. "Are there any light switches in here?"

Jason sniggered a little. "I wish," was his reply. "The others are battling a pack of clowns back down the other end of the track. We need to find Rita's monster and take care of it before it gets out-."

"JASON!" Zack's loud voice boomed from the distance.

"What's happening?" Kimberly stammered with concern.

"Quick, follow me," Jason barely managed to say, before he grabbed her gloved hand and quickly pulled her behind him.

They awkwardly stumbled along the platform, until a hint of approaching light seemed to gently light their path. Jason stopped as he recognized the ride's train sitting stationary up ahead and felt Kimberly collide into him as they set their sights on the strange figure now sitting on the front seat.

"Come! Come! Enjoy the show!" the creature crackled with exaggerated arm movements. "Let's start with a dazzling juggle display, followed by a slaughter-fest featuring my costumed enemies…" his sentence drowned into a high-pitched cackle, before the clown stood up and proceeded to literally rip it's fingers from its hands.

Jason stared in stunned silence, but quickly glanced at his teammates as the costumed creature began to juggle his own fingers in feverish delight.

"What is that?" Kimberly murmured beside him.

Jason numbly shook his head. "I have no idea."

"Yo, great party trick," Zack commented wryly. "I don't know if Rita told you this or not, but uh, we're no good at juggling, but we're pretty alright at chucking our weapons around-."

The clown continued to spin his finger tips through the air as he replied, "Ooh, and I came prepared…have you ever seen the magic trick where they toss the knives at the helpless victim?"

As he spoke his last word, the clown suddenly let his finger tips fall into his palm, before they instantly transformed into ten razor sharp blades.

"Guys, watch out!" Billy yelled out.

Jason feebly ducked, but his initial hesitation cost him slightly as he felt one of the blades slice past the top of his arm. Its impact left a burning sensation, and he grabbed the throbbing muscle with his free arm, as he attempted to regain his composure.

"Guys! Time to call on our power weapons!" he grunted, as he clasped the handle of his sword and watched it's long blade slice cleanly through the air before him. "Any more tricks up your sleeve?" he goaded the smiling creature.

The clown chucked in childish delight, as the rangers grouped together and displayed their impressive weaponry. His continuous giggling was starting to grind on Jason's nerves, but was suddenly cut short as the clown parted his wide cheery lips and a spray of fiery energy whooshed from inside its throat.

The impact caught them all too hard, and Jason felt his limbs spray helplessly around as he collided with his teammates. The fabric-slicked wall behind them instantly ignited from the heat, and amongst the moment it took for Jason to get himself to his feet and position to counter-attack, the area behind them was alight in a fiery display.

"It's on fire!" Kimberly shrieked out, as she and Trini immediately moved to smother the flames.

Jason ignored her cry, and instead lashed his sword toward the clown. The creature was quick to duck three of his attacks, before Jason became impatient and used the side of his sword to catch the creature off balance. He pushed on it with all his strength, and moved back to let Zack and Trini through to attack.

The monster let out another fountain of fire before it succumbed to a low groan. "You kiddies aren't playing fair!" it harped, reaching up to clench its head in between its hands. "Time to show you the trick of disappearing!"

And with that, the clown was gone.

* * *

Jason swung around several times, frustration building with each motion that he nearly threw his sword down. 

"Where did it go?" Trini asked the obvious question.

Jason sighed and looked to the ground, before he turned to look at his friends in the dim light. "Let's stay calm and contact Zordon," he suggested. "Zordon, do you read me?" he spoke sternly into his communicator.

"RANGERS, I HAVE CLOSELY MONITORED YOUR BATTLE WITH RITA'S CLOWN MONSTER AND WE HAVE ESTABLISHED A POSSIBLE WEAKNESS."

"What is it, Zordon?" Billy spoke into Jason's cocked wrist. "It seems he became quite distressed through no obvious attack."

"ACTUALLY, IT APPEARS THE CREATURES OWN ATTACK LED TO OUR DISCOVERY…ITS WEAKNESS IS THE RIDE IN WHICH IT INHABITS- IT NOT ONLY HAUNTS THE CARNIVAL RIDE, BUT IT IS THE RIDE…THE RIDES DESTRUCTION IN TURN MEANS THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CLOWN."

Jason frowned a little beneath his helmet. "Are you saying we just need to burn the ride down?" he clarified.

"NO, JASON; THE ONLY BEING WHO IS CAPABLE OF THIS, IS THE MONSTER ITSELF. YOU MUST DIRECT YOUR EFFORTS INTO GETTING THE MONSTER TO DAMAGE THE RIDE THROUGH ITS OWN ATTACKS."

Jason nodded. "Will do, Zordon," he promised, before he looked at his teammates. "You all heard Zordon- once we find Mr. Smiley face, we've gotta get him to shoot fire at the walls again- anything that will damage this ride."

"Right!" the others all enthused in unison.

"Ooh whoa whoa whoa!" A familiar bubbly voice began to chuckle from behind them.

Jason sighed and swung around, straightening himself up. "Finished having your temper tantrum?" Jason asked it sarcastically.

The clown seemed to reach behind it, and pulled out an oversized saw. "Which one of you wants to be the first victim I attempt to saw in half? And let's remind the crowd, no illusions here- no fake blood!"

He leaped toward the huddle of friends, as Billy swiftly moved his lance to intercept the thrusted blade. The clown moved quickly on his feet and continued to manically swipe the sharp weapon around, the rangers' attacks' doing little to break its stride.

Jason watched as the clown leapt back to the train carriage, but he didn't follow, instead watching his teammates for a brief moment while he desperately tried to think of how to get the clown to attach the ride.

_Think!_

"Guys!" Jason suddenly burst out as an idea came to him. "Time to combine our weapons!"

He waited as the other rangers swiftly leapt on the platform and they each offered their weapons above their heads. Energy lit the area up as each individual weapon moved together like magnets, clunking and clicking loudly taking over, until the oversized cannon lowered to arms height.

Jason grasped the weapon with all his strength. "Fire!" he declared, as he succinctly triggered the ignition button. Colorful rays poured from the cannon, slamming the clown against the furthermost wall with a powerful impact.

"Great work, guys!" Jason praised, doing his best to irritate the fallen clown.

The creature slowly stood up, his usual jibing demeanor suddenly vanished. "Think that's a trick? Ever tried the Bullet Catch?" he practically screamed, as his hand molded and transformed into a firing weapon of some sort.

Only one click sounded, before a frenzy of fiery bullets showered toward the rangers, sending them all dropping to the ground. Jason pushed his body as close to the floor as possible and looked up

The attack had penetrated the wall behind them!

"It's working guys," Zack quickly whispered.

Jason rushed to his feet. "That was disappointing, clown…that was almost as bad as your fire spitting trick…"

The clown groaned and jumped from foot to foot in an almost childish manner. "You think so, huh? How about I add a little spice to it then?"

Fire was everywhere. Actually, Jason wasn't really sure how it happened, but in the blink of a moment, darkness seemed to combust into overbearing light. An inferno.

"Guys, move! Move!" Jason began shoveling his friends blindly, as they raced toward the direction of the exit.

Jason could literally feel his head burning under the constraints of his helmet, but he pushed on, falling to his knees as they burst through the exit door and fell into an overwhelmed heap.

Their communicators' sounded, but everyone was breathing too heavily to answer straight away.

"Zordon?" Jason managed.

"RANGERS, YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DEFEATED RITA'S MONSTER. ENSURE THAT NO CIVILIANS ENTER THE VICINITY OF THE BURNING RIDE UNTIL ITS DESTRUCTION IS COMPLETED."

"We will," Jason promised their master.

"Oh my gosh," Kimberly suddenly gasped. "He's coming!"

Jason frowned "Who-."

She suddenly scrambled to her feet and raced around the corner, but before any of them could call out, another figure appeared from the other side.

"What are you doing here?" Jason asked Tommy as the martial arts student stopped a short distance ahead of him.

What if he recognizes my voice? 

Tommy's eyes scanned the scene around them, before he fixed his gaze on the red ranger. "Have you seen Kimberly anywhere? Kimberly Hart, you saved she and I from the caves-."

"Tommy!" Kimberly's shrill voice suddenly burst out from nearby.

Jason watched as the unmorphed pink ranger stopped suddenly in front of their friend and reached out to grab his hands.

"Where did you go?" he asked her in clear concern.

She raised her shoulders and then dropped them, biting her lip at the same time. "I'm sorry, I guess I just got lost," she lied.

Kimberly swiftly released her grip from Tommy and turned to face her teammates. She was a good actress, far beyond any of them, but Jason could still see it in her eyes. The fear; the exhaustion. The impact and cost of their lies on the people in their life.

That Rita could kill Tommy…that she would stop at nothing to kill him. That their friendship with the new boy at school was risking his life in the most disturbing way.

Kimberly's face suddenly lit up- the act was back on. "I just wanted to say a huge thanks for saving me again," Kimberly chattered away to them, her dopey smile enough to rid Jason's thoughts' at that moment.

"Any time," he responded in a deeper voice than usual, watching as she winked his way, before turning and heading towards the exit by Tommy's side.

* * *

Tommy tried to move through the crowd of people, desperate to find the edge of the mass that seemed to be never ending. It was just like the scene of a motor accident, where onlookers crowd around with a strange and twisted sense of curiosity- only this time, the carnival goers were all in a sense the 'victims'. 

The residents of Angel Grove had become just a touch bolder nowadays. They were more than accepting of the fact that alien attacks and bursts of public violence were a normal part of life, and they wanted to learn more about it. Instead of running away like they had in the past, everyone wanted to see just a little more- a glimpse of an alien, or even the group of mystic superheroes.

The power rangers. Everyone was talking about the Power Rangers.

Tommy glanced back, relieved to see that Kimberly was still following close behind him. As he stepped out of the crowd, he watched as she clumsily ducked under a tall man's arm and glanced at Tommy almost sheepishly.

"What happened back there?" Tommy immediately asked her, making sure that nobody could hear them. "One minute you were there, and then I couldn't find you…" he paused, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed. "I was worried."

She tucked her dark bangs behind her ears, shrugging slightly as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I got tired and then I couldn't find you," she admitted in a quiet voice. Her brown eyes met his. "Everything became kinda crazy…"

"Are you okay? I mean, did anything happen to you?"

"Oh, no," she quickly shook her head. She flashed him a smile. "Everything's fine."

"Are you going to say anything to the police or anything?" Tommy motioned to the nearby parking lot where officers draped in distinct uniforms were talking with various people.

Kimberly's eyes' trickled over his shoulder and she pursed her lips. "I don't think I should," she looked at him, her eyes desperate for his encouragement. "After what happened last time and all the media and everything, I don't really want that again."

Tommy nodded, completely empathizing with her words. After all, it was the one reason why he had felt so strangely connected to the brunette in the first place- they had gone through such a surreal experience together, and to this day, Tommy still had troubles getting over it. He could completely understand why Kimberly wouldn't want to put herself in the same limelight once more.

They seemed to stare at each other for an awkward moment, before a voice caused them both to jump. Tommy tried to swallow his nerves and offered a half-hearted smile in Jason's direction, as the boy stopped at his side.

"You guys okay?" Jason asked. "Did you see what happened in the park?"

Tommy quickly flicked his eyes to Kimberly's- did she want to keep the secret from her friends, too?"

She nodded her head. "Yeah…we, uh, got caught up with those putty things," she admitted almost shyly. "And we tried to get away, but we got separated and I got lost, but Tommy, he helped me and-."

Tommy released an embarrassed breath. "I didn't do anything," he quickly spoke up. "The power rangers saved her once again."

"Really?" Zack exclaimed with wide eyes. "You saw the power rangers again?"

Kimberly managed a small smile. "Yeah…but, you know, everything kinda happened really quickly…"

"That must have been quite an enthralling experience," Billy guessed.

She nodded. "They were awesome like always…"

Tommy glanced around, noticing the crowd slowly dissipating from nearby, but glanced back at his friends. "Hey, I wonder if there's any way we can get in contact with the power rangers…" he stopped as they all stared at him, but he decided to finish his sentence. "I was thinking we might be able to say thank you for saving us and everything."

Jason raised his eyebrows. "Not sure if they have a fan club yet," he joked.

"They should though," Zack added, dropped his hands in his pockets.

Tommy laughed as they all continued the casual chatter. Kimberly finally broke it up with a gesture of the hand, and wearily motioned to a phone box nearby.

"Let's call someone to pick us up," she suggested. "Our parents will freak otherwise."

They all agreed it was a good idea. Jason grabbed some loose coins from his pocket, and they strolled together. Tommy could smell the looming rain clouds nearby, and couldn't help but notice the peaking curves of the dreaded Ferris wheel in the distance.

The realization of how close he'd come to those aliens once again was sitting like a weight in his stomach…he knew it was crazy to think that way, but part of him felt like they had targeted him. Stalked him, for a reason. Why would aliens be interested in him?

"What are you thinking?"

He glanced down at Kimberly, almost bashful, as though she had secretly read his crazy thoughts. All he could do was clear his throat.

She widened her eyes. "You okay?"

"Yeah, uh yeah," he quickly conceded. "I was just wondering what time it was."

"Oh," she quickly lifted her wrist and peered at its shiny pink surface. "It's almost two."

"Oh…" he motioned to her watch. "Cool watch, by the way…I've never seen one like it."

Kimberly seemed to grab it self-consciously with her other hand. "This old thing? Billy gave it to me, it was a project he did for school…"

Tommy nodded with interest, but glanced up as Jason hung up the pay phone and turned to make an announcement.

"Our parents are on the way."

* * *

"Argh! I can't believe it!" 

Rita spun around, eyes hooked onto the three cowering figures in the corner as she dramatically slammed her staff against the ground.

"I want answers!" she screamed, clenching her free hand at her side.

Her trusted servant stepped forward, bravery lifting his chin despite the utter dread in his eyes. "My Queen," he trembled, before he swiftly cleared his throat. "It appears the rangers were too strong-."

"Well of course they were too strong!" she snapped viciously. "That's what happens when you leave a mutt in charge of things!"

Goldar approached her from the opposite corner, clearly unconcerned by her outburst. "I told you it was foolish to leave Finster with such an important job!" he growled, quickly throwing his head to glare at the crestfallen scientist.

Rita narrowed her gaze, too angry to laugh, despite her own twisted amusement at his comment. "Oh, and I suppose monkeys are more intelligent, are they?" she seethed with a hint of sarcasm.

Goldar growled in response. "I am not a monkey- I am a titan!"

"Ooh! Ooh! What about me, empress?" Squatt swiftly enthused, bouncing excitedly from one foot to the other. "I'm not a dog or a monkey…" he suddenly stopped on the spot and glanced up at his counterpart with wide eyes. "What am I, Baboo?"

Rita let out a sharp and exaggerated groan. "Shut up! Shut up all of you!" She grabbed her forehead in her hand and closed her eyes. "How Zedd expects me to get this mission done with such bumbling fools is beyond me!"

She was angry. No, she was pissed off.

"My Queen…if I may, I have a suggestion-."

Rita huffed and glanced up, narrowing her dark eyes on Finster as if daring him to continue.

Finster moved his hands to his stomach as he managed to find his voice. "There's something distinct that I have noticed on watching Zordon's rangers-."

"What? That they always beat us?" Goldar groaned.

The alien scientist paused. "No…I noticed, that despite their clearly advanced combat ability, there is a basic issue that could potentially hamper all efforts made by them…it could potentially destroy all ability for them to function on their home planet."

Rita cocked an eyebrow, the curiosity quickly throbbing in her head. "This better be good," she warned him.

"Oh, why of course…" he nodded. "Zordon has requested the humans conceal their ranger identities from their fellow citizens…but their duties for Zordon have clearly made such a task quite difficult, to the point where it is greatly interfering with their interaction with other's outside their circle."

Goldar huffed. "How is that supposed to help this empire destroy those measly pests?" he demanded.

"Can it, monkey breath!" Rita harped up, curling this sides of her lips the same lust she always felt at times like these. "Are you suggesting that we somehow expose the ranger brats for everyone to see?" she grinner eerily at Finster.

He nodded. "That is what I am suggesting, My Queen…it could be as simple as going down to Earth and telling the leader of their race-."

She swiftly squatted him away with her hands. "I have a much better idea," she decided. "We could conjure up a spell so that they blabber their identities to everyone they know…just imagine the chaos it will cause in their pathetic lives!" she squealed with delight.

"Oh goody, what a great plan!" Squatt exclaimed.

Finster lowered his hands slightly. "But my Queen, wouldn't we be best to simply deliver their identities ourselves? It seems in the past that the rangers have been quite successful in overcoming such plans-."

Rita swiftly pushed her hand forward and clamped it around his snout, as she leant over, keeping only a few inches between their faces.

"Are you questioning my authority?" she asked in a low voice.

Finster's tiny eyes blinked behind his spectacles, but she could feel him feebly attempt to shake his head.

"Good," she hissed, before she childishly pushed him back. She spun around on the spot. "Now, make me a potion…one that will make those annoying children destroy their precious promise to Zordon!"

Finster swiftly adjusted his glasses from her manhandling. "Right away, my empress," he bowed.

Rita grinned effortlessly and floated over to her balcony. She glanced down at the soil of her enemies, wishing she could clench the miniscule planet in her desperate hands. She was growing exhausted by the fluctuating highs and lows she was experiencing, thanks to her extended plight to take over the human mass, but at least she was again on a high.

She couldn't wait to see just what chaos she could cause next…

--

**Coming up Next in Episode 20 "Falsely True": **_A huge secret is revealed when Rita successfully manipulates some of the rangers to expose their identities. Unable to conceal the truth, will they be able to keep it together to defeat her latest monster and what consequences will occur now that their secret is out?_

_A/N- Thanks for your patience! I'm finally well enough to focus on updating this story. I wrote the chapter many months ago, and now reading it, wasn't really happy with it, but I still think it does its job. A few things to point out: I know it seems hard to imagine someone crawling down a Ferris wheel, but it's possible, so that's why I put it in the story...You know I like to be 'realistic', but sometimes room needs to be made during the creative process... :-)  
_


	20. Ep19: Falsely True

**R&R: REBIRTH OF THE LEGACY**

By Chanelle Summer

**Falsely True - Episode 19**

_While spending an afternoon working on a community project, the teenagers fall victim to Rita's latest scheme, in which she uses a truth serum on some of the rangers. Unable to conceal the truth, what chaos will it cause for the team? And what truths will now be revealed? Find out next..._

_

* * *

_

"Finster!"

Rita scowled from the observation deck, overlooking the water and earth laden mass below her moon base, and turned as she heard his weak footing approach her direction. She glanced briefly at the clock in the center of the distant wall of her chamber, and clenched her teeth.

He was late...she was beyond frustrated that he was late!

"My apologies, my queen," Finster's apology was muffled as he bowed his head upon entering the area.

He scuttled towards his master, and extended a hairy palm towards her. Rita's desire to verbally lash the alien scientist was immediately dissipated as her dark eyes fell on the tiny vial in his hand. The right side of her mouth twisted into a sly smile, and she took the small bottle between her bony fingers and continued to eye it with excitement.

"Is this it?" she asked him in a husky tone, her gaze remaining fixed on her own hands.

"Yes, my empress, I present to you the truth serum as requested, made from the essence of the Malandra plant," he explained. "When administered to the subject, this potent mixture will force the being to lose all control over their desire to conceal the truth and also causes a loss of common sense and control of responsibility. In the case of the rangers, it should cause chaos in their lives."

"Yes!" Rita hissed in a long, drawn out burst of fervency, "I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner! Think about it: the one thing those pathetic teenagers have struggled to upkeep, is the protection of their ranger identities...once under the influence of the serum, they will be unable to bite their tongues, and their identities will be exposed to the entire world!" Her high-pitched squeal dragged into a cackle and Finster nodded his head at her comments.

"Indeed, it is a plan of brilliance," he conceded.

Her blissful gaze mellowed to a slight smile, and she scoffed at him. "Of course it is, the plan was mine after all!" she stated. "Now; how do we administer the mixture to the rangers?" she asked him.

Finster raised his other hand, and Rita peered into his open paw as she noticed he was holding a minute contraption. She stared at him intently and he nodded his head quickly.

"By using this device, I will need to administer the serum to each ranger, by placing a small, but concentrated amount on the base of their neck...however, in order to successfully fulfill this plan, I will need to travel to Angel Grove in an invisible state-."

"Just do it!" she barked at him, lashing her hand out towards him, and slamming the vial back into his empty hand.

* * *

_**Wednesday 21st April, 1994 **_

"So, how do you guys want to do this?" Jason asked.

Kimberly shrugged. "I think we should start with the weeding," she suggested. "That way, it'll leave the fun bit till last!"

"Excellent reasoning," Billy agreed, as the blue ranger sifted through the gardening tools they had carried to the park in two large sacks.

Kimberly knelt down, and reached in the second bag, searching for the gardening gloves she packed for their afternoon of community work in Angel Grove Park. As part of a wider community project, Kimberly, along with the other rangers, had volunteered to help with weeding near the main playground and planting of saplings near the lake. Kimberly was enthusiastic about the afternoon, enjoying the opportunity to share her love of gardening with her closest friends.

Not to mention, Tommy had signed up with them. That made the prospect even rosier in Kimberly's eyes'.

She moved over to the edge of the first garden bed, and kneeled down, glad she was smart enough to wear her old overalls for such a dirty job.

"Can I weed here with you?" Tommy asked, as he stepped beside her.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Of course!" she gushed, reaching her right hand to the ground beside her to pat it. "There's plenty of room."

He smiled gratefully and dropped down beside her. She watched him as he immediately began to awkwardly attack the clumps of weeds that had chocked the garden and Kimberly tried to conceal a smile. She could clearly tell he wasn't used to gardening, and inwardly that made her happy. Happy, because it meant he chose to be there because of them.

_...or, maybe me?_ She thought hopefully to herself.

"So, do you guys do this a lot?" Tommy began, as he kept his eyes on the task at hand, "I mean, community work...gardening," he added.

He looked at her and she smiled. "Yeah, we like to get involved," she replied. "We spend so much time here, it kinda makes sense to help look after it...plus, I've always loved gardening and stuff."

He raised a surprised eyebrow. "Really?" he asked her, clearly taken aback.

She eyed him thoughtfully. "Yeah...why do you ask?" she asked him.

He shrugged, and tossed a pile full of weeds behind him. "No reason...I think that's cool, though..." he offered.

"Hey! If you guys don't stop chatting, we'll never get this done!" Zack jokingly called out from the other side of the playground.

Kimberly rolled her eyes and giggled, before she turned back to the next bed of overgrowth.

"So, um...how's karate going?" Kimberly asked Tommy, as the silence drifted between them. She wanted to talk to him, wanted to know all about him.

He nodded his head, and wiped a hand over the top of his brow. "Good," he stated, "Really good...Jason's taught me a lot since I've been here."

This time it was Kimberly's turn to raise a curious eyebrow. "Really?" she asked him. She'd watched Tommy in practice numerous times and was convinced he was perfect.

"Yeah, he's even asked me to help him with his Thursday class...I've always wanted to teach, and well, it'll be great doing it with him," Tommy explained.

She smiled. "Sounds like a great idea," she agreed.

She pulled out a large weed and grimaced as she felt a pang of pain at the tip her thumb. She groaned and pulled her glove off.

"Great," she whispered frustrated, as she gazed at the broken nail.

"You okay?" Tommy asked.

Kimberly nodded her head, and tried to smile, not wanting to appear completely irrational. She was about to put her glove back on and return to her job, when she heard footsteps behind her. She twisted her head around and raised her hand to block the relentless sun from her eyes.

"You okay, Zack?" Kimberly asked, as she watched the black ranger approach them.

He didn't reply immediately and she raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I just don't feel like doing this," he stated. He dropped his gloves on the pile of unused gardening tools and Kimberly inwardly frowned.

"Zack, we don't have a choice...we told Mr. Caplan that we'd get this finished today," she reminded him, trying to conceal the frustration she was feeling.

He shook his head. "Yeah, well I don't feel like doing it," he told her. "You can do it, seeing as though you love it so much."

Tommy turned around at that stage, and he looked at Zack confused. "You were just telling us to work faster," he said to Zack, before tossing his gloves towards the black ranger playfully. "Come on man, don't think for a second we're gonna do your dirty work," he added in a light-hearted tone.

Kimberly was about to tell Zack to stop playing around, when flashes of light suddenly appeared around them, before disappearing and revealing a group of putties.

"Guys, look!" Kimberly called out, throwing her hand out in the direction of the unwelcome visitors.

"They're those putties!" Tommy added, as the group of teens threw their gardening gear on the ground and quickly stumbled towards each other.

Kimberly threw a quick look to her friends. She hated when Rita decided to attack them when they were in non-ranger presence.

"Tommy, stay back," Zack commented, as the black ranger moved towards the first few putties.

"Nuh, I'll help too," Tommy offered, as the teenager moved in Zack's direction.

Zack turned to Tommy and extended his arm, as if to motion for him to stay back. "Leave this up to the experts," the black ranger stated. "We've got this under control."

Kimberly frowned as she heard Zack's words from nearby, and she quickly turned to throw him a private glare.

_Watch what you're saying, Zack! _She thought to herself.

Before she could say anything, though, the mob of Rita's warriors' disappeared, almost as quickly as they had materialized. Kimberly frowned and ran a hand over her hair. She looked at Trini, who shared her look of confusion.

"Well, good thing that happened," Jason commented, as the group of friends slowly regrouped, "Because I was just about ready to morph and wipe them out."

* * *

Trini instantly swung her head to look at the red ranger. The frown took hold of her face, and she quickly glanced towards Tommy as Jason spoke his last words. 

Kimberly started to laugh, but Trini could tell it was a façade- an obvious attempt to desensitize the moment.

"What do you mean, 'morph'?" Tommy asked, a hint of confusion in his dark eyes.

"He was just-."

"You know- 'morph'?" Zack explained, seemingly unconcerned. "Here, check it out," he added.

"Zack!" Kimberly snapped, stepping forwards.

Trini stared at her African American friend in horror as without any warning, he casually reached to his waist and detached his morpher from his belt, before tossing it towards Tommy. The longer haired boy caught the item in his hand and stared at it in silence.

Trini gulped. "A-Ah, I don't know what's-."

"Tommy!" Kimberly suddenly burst out, reaching towards his hand. She failed in her attempt to snatch the morpher from his hands, and Trini watched with dread as he stepped back and stared at them all in dense confusion.

"What is this?" Tommy asked, eying each of them carefully.

"It's called a power morpher," Billy swiftly spoke up, "We use the morpher to summon our individual protector beasts so that we can take on the process of metamorphosis."

"Okay, um, like time out!" Kimberly stated, her words clipped. She eyed her male teammates unfavorably, before turning to look at Tommy with softer eyes. "Tommy, this isn't what it looks like..."

He frowned and shook his head. "Are you guys saying you're the power rangers?" he asked.

"No!" Kimberly practically gasped out.

"Precisely," Billy replied.

"What are you talking about, Kim?" Zack asked, before he looked back at Tommy, tossing a casual gesture Kimberly's direction. "She's the pink ranger...you know, the one with the skirt...kinda convenient that we got our favorite colors...black has always looked great on me."

Jason nodded, as he casually stretched his arms above his head. "Yeah, we've been rangers for months now..." he added, "I mean, how else do you think you were saved from Rita? We were all there and helped you get out of that place."

Trini felt herself unable to speak. She knew she was watching the scene unfold before her, but she couldn't actually believe that her teammates were revealing their identities to Tommy. Something they promised Zordon they would never, ever do.

But it wasn't the fact that they had told Tommy, who had become a good friend. It was the way they were doing it. Without a whiff of concern and with complete carelessness.

At that moment, the six-beep tune sounded from their communicators, and Trini stared at Kimberly.

"What was that?" Tommy asked.

Trini stepped towards the boy and gently took Zack's morpher from his hand. "Tommy, I don't know what is going on, but there's some things that need to be cleared up."

Their communicators beeped again, and Trini looked up as Jason raised his wrist to his face.

"Yeah Zordon, we read you," he spoke into the tiny speaker.

"What is he doing?" Tommy asked.

"RANGERS, TELEPORT TO THE COMMAND CENTER IMMEDIATELY," Zordon's voice came through loud and clear.

Trini raised her wrist to her face. "Zordon, we have a...problem..." she stated into her yellow watch, watching Tommy's face twist into even greater confusion as she did so.

"TRINI, I'M AWARE OF THE SITUATION…KEEP TOMMY CLOSE AS WE INITIATE TELEPORTATION NOW."

* * *

Kimberly watched Tommy closely, as the martial art's student stared around the Command Center in utter bewilderment. She wanted to say something to him, but for the first time since the day she'd been given the pink power coin, she found herself lost for words. 

So instead she shared her attention between Tommy, while glaring at Jason, Zack and Billy every few moments.

"What the hell is this place?" Tommy finally murmured.

He spun around and Kimberly stepped in front of her male teammates before they could say anything else ridiculous.

"Tommy, I know this is totally hard to believe right now, but you're standing in our Command Center…"

Tommy seemed oblivious to her words, instead staring in what appeared to be trepidation in Zordon's direction. There was no point trying to reassure him that there was nothing to be afraid of. After all, it had only been a matter of months before hand that she herself had been utterly terrified by her mentor's appearance.

"Zordon, is there a reason we're here, or what?" Zack asked their mentor after he remained silent on their arrival.

Trini glanced at Kimberly with worry. Kimberly's stomach was bunching in knots at the thought of Zordon stripping them of their powers.

"RANGERS, I HAVE BROUGHT YOU HERE IN RESPONSE TO YOUR BREAKING OF OUR RANGER CODE THAT WE AGREED UPON DURING YOUR INITIATION," Zordon began.

"Zordon," Kimberly spoke up quickly. "If you want to know what happened, talk to Jason, Zack and Billy…they're the ones that suddenly felt the need to blab our identities to Tommy."

Zack and Jason seemed to scoff together, and Kimberly spun around. She crossed her arms roughly over her chest, tapping her foot on the ground. "What is the matter with you guys? This isn't like you to act like such a bunch of imbeciles…"

"Hey, we didn't do anything wrong, Kimberly," Jason stated almost impatiently. "It was about time Tommy learnt the truth…"

Tommy finally stepped towards the rangers, gesturing with his hands in a very uncharacteristic motion. "Okay, so you guys are the power rangers…The power rangers…"

"Yes, we are the power rangers," Trini confirmed to him calmly. "But, our identities are supposed to remain a secret…what Jason, Zack and Billy did today was against our promise to Zordon."

"What is that…thing…anyway?" Tommy asked, returning a dubious look in Zordon's direction.

"ALPHA, PLEASE RUN A SCAN FOR ABNORMAL BIO-WAVES ON JASON, BILLY AND ZACHARY," Zordon asked his assistant.

"Yo, it's Zack, Zordon," the black ranger spoke up. "We know each other well enough now…you're starting to sound like my mother…"

Kimberly rolled her eyes and huddled with Trini and Tommy as they watched Alpha 5 run the mechanism over the male rangers. A red beam of light illuminated from the end of the gadget, and Alpha 5 ran it from head to toe before he stepped back.

"Nothing, Zordon…the bio-wave scanner is showing nothing abnormal," the automaton reported glumly.

"RUN A DIAGNOSTIC SCAN…JASON, BILLY AND ZACK'S BEHAVIOR IS UNCHARACTERISTIC-."

Kimberly jumped as the alarm suddenly blared through the center, and she glanced up at Tommy who immediately began to look around.

"Doesn't Rita ever get tired of this?" Jason stated with an impatient sigh, as he stalked toward the viewing globe.

"RITA HAS RELEASED A MONSTER IN ANGEL GROVE PARK…KNOWN AS THE 'REGURGITATOR', IT HAS THE ABILITY TO REFLECT AND REPLICATE ANY ATTACKS FORCED AGAINST IT."

Kimberly grimaced at Zordon's words'. "Eew, that sounds completely disgusting," she stated.

"Sounds like nothing different; let's get this over and done with," Jason stated, as he unclipped his morpher.

"JASON, STOP," Zordon abruptly warned the red ranger. "YOU, BILLY AND ZACK CANNOT LEAVE THE COMMAND CENTER UNTIL WE DETECT THE CAUSE FOR YOUR CHANGES IN PERSONALITY."

Zack sighed. "Zordon, nothing's wrong with us…we gotta stop this dude now," he stated, stepping up beside Jason.

Kimberly sighed herself, rushing over to stand in front of Jason. She placed a hand on his arm as she did her best to reason with him, "Jason please…don't be stupid, you guys are under a spell or something-."

Jason leaned toward her. "There's nothing wrong with the truth, Kim," he whispered to her in an emotionless tone.

Kimberly tried to hold onto his arm, but he only stepped away from her and raised his morpher before him. "It's Morphin time!" he declared. "Tyrannosaurus!"

Zack and Billy followed suit, and before Kimberly or Trini could intervene, the three rangers were jetting out of the Command Center and to ground zero of their newest battle.

Kimberly dropped her face in her hands, frustrated beyond belief. She glanced up at Tommy, not having a clue on what her next move would be.

* * *

"YES! Yes! Yes!" Rita pumped her fist to her chest and spun around deliriously on the spot. 

She stopped and smiled to herself, before she let out another unquenchable round of laughs. How she loved it when a plan worked out so well!

"My queen, it does appear that the truth serum is having its desired affects on the rangers," Finster spoke up from nearby. "This will surely give you the necessary edge to defeat the rangers and impress Lord Zedd."

Rita smiled and licked her lips, keeping her eye glued to the lens of her viewing scope. How she wished she could see inside the ranger Command Center. She was desperate to see the conflict her latest scheme was causing the pathetic teenagers.

"Your next task, Finster, will be to create me a viewing scope so I can see inside the Command Center," Rita murmured, before she straightened herself up. "It's not as much fun when I can't see the dramatics unfold."

Finster bowed his head slightly, but the apprehension was still in his eyes. "Of course, my queen, however I doubt we have the technology to pierce through Zordon's technology," he stated.

Rita huffed a little, but her disappointment was short-lived. "Now we can only wait and see the chaos this causes when the rangers go into battle with my monster…the only thing that would have made this plan so much better, would have been if you would have infected all the rangers!"

She glanced briefly at the scientist. Finster nodded. "Yes, my queen, my apologies…it was impossible for me to administer the substance to the female rangers, without moving their hair from the nape of their necks. I did not want to alert the rangers to my presence-."

"Who cares; the plan is brilliant as it is!" Rita shrieked, before laughing and spinning once again on the spot.

* * *

Trini sighed as she watched her male teammates confront their newest enemy on the viewing globe. She felt a strange pang of annoyance as she pursed her lips and folded her arms over her chest. It was all just too unbelievable. 

Kimberly was nervously hopping about on the spot beside her, frustratingly running a hand through her hair as she spoke up.

"We have to go and help them," she said, turning and looking at Zordon. "If we can keep it together, then maybe we'll still be able to beat this 'Refrigerator' monster thing."

Trini let out a quick giggle at her best friend's slip up, but composed herself just as quickly. "We need to keep a close eye on them. We can't let them near anyone else," she told her seriously.

Kimberly nodded, and they both stepped side by side, their eyes falling on Tommy up ahead. The boy was lost in his own daze, and Trini sighed privately as Zordon spoke up.

"TRINI; KIMBERLY- YOU MUST TELEPORT AND ASSIST THE BOYS IN BATTLE IMMEDIATELY. ONLY YOUR HELP NOW WILL BE ENOUGH TO STOP RITA'S FEISTY MONSTER."

Kimberly blew a breath out between pursed lips. "This is gonna be tough," she murmured.

"We can do it," Trini assured her, as she unclipped her morpher.

Kimberly appeared almost embarrassed as she followed suit, her dark eyes lingering in the direction of Tommy as she finally called out "It's Morphin time! Pterodactyl!"

"Saber-toothed Tiger!" Trini yelled out quickly.

It didn't take Trini even the moment to land on the earth again for her to realize just how messed up the battle was that she'd walked into. The scene was as noisy as ever- her three male teammates were lashing into the bulky creature without so much of a breath, but everything else was different.

There was no timing; no communication, at least not the kind that was remotely linked to the task at hand. It was funny how used to battle Trini had become over the passing months. There was a certain sense of unspoken communication the team had always shared- and the fact that they were part of a unit was never forgotten.

Kimberly raced toward the battle without so much of a word, ripping her blaster gun from her hip holster. The ammunition shot out with a high pitch, but like a mirror, the energy rebounded off the monster and pierced Kimberly hard enough to send her backwards.

"Guys, take it easy!" Trini found herself arguing as she attempted to pull Zack back.

Jason didn't even look in her direction, and continued to pummel the monster with strike after strike with his sharp power blade. The creature lashed back toward Jason in an almost identical manner, but the red ranger merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Man I love it how original Rita gets with each battle," he sniggered. "I'm surprised she doesn't just made her own ranger team…then we could really waste each other's time." He stuck the creature again with a loud groan.

"How about we take this battle elsewhere?" the monster suggested.

Trini gulped. "It's too early to run away now!"

"Oh no…I'm not running away," the monster countered, before it turned and began powerfully away from the group of teenagers.

Despite the creature's colossal weight, it made a fair distance before any of them started in pursuit.

"Guys, let's go!" Kimberly huffed, before she started after it.

"Why don't we just teleport?" Zack suggested casually.

Trini didn't say anything, and started quickly after Kimberly. She made up distance with ease, but felt her knees almost give way as she noticed a group of curious citizens standing only a short distance away.

_Oh no! What if they say something to give it away?_

The rangers lined up, positioning themselves boldly as the monster stood eerily still, waiting for their attack.

Zack brushed his gloved hands together. "'Bout time we get some recognition," he joked.

Jason stood rock solid, his helmet moving swiftly to scope the scene. "We need to get those people away from here, or else they are going to get in the way," he stated, surprising Trini with at least a moment of the 'old' Jason.

"Oh my gosh," Kimberly babbled breathlessly. "Look who's over there."

"Are you rangers going to try and beat me or not?" the monster goaded impatiently.

"Hey, it's Bulk and Skull!" Zack realized, starting toward the huddled group of onlookers.

Trini could feel her heart racing, and quickly grabbed Zack on the shoulder. "Just stay here and let me take care of the people, okay?" she suggested as calmly as possible.

"Look! They're coming toward us!" A lady shrieked hysterically from the crowd.

"See, they want us," Zack chirped, moving Trini's hand forcibly off his shoulder.

"Guys!" Kimberly called out after them.

Trini almost instantly brought her hand to her face, but stopped herself upon remembering that she had so many people watching her. The last thing she wanted was to give any hints away, especially to the two big mouths who were hopping about at their approach.

"Skull, get the camera ready!" Bulk was roughly tugging at his friend's arm.

Trini suddenly stopped on the spot. "Everyone please leave the area!" she called out. "Your lives are in danger!"

Zack quickly spun around as the crowd burst into a frenzy, screams trailing them as the mob rushed away without hesitation. Trini sighed and ignored him, instead returning her attention back to the battle.

They were losing. They were losing this one real bad.

* * *

Tommy was speechless. He was dazed, shocked. He was waiting to wake up, waiting for the explanation and most especially watching with an unfamiliar mix of curiosity and concern. 

Yet all at the same time, he was not the least bit shocked.

They were the power rangers; the five people he considered as good a friends as he'd ever had, were the most exclusive group in not only the city, but the country and the world.

He never really contemplated the possibility, despite looking back on so many moments and realizing he was blinded not to have seen it. The private looks; the bizarre conversations that didn't seem to match up and more situations of them mysteriously disappearing on him than he could count.

They were the power rangers. Not aliens, not mythical creatures. Just a group of five, normal teenagers who somehow along the line got mixed up with defending the planet in their lunch break and scrambling to keep their secret lives as just that.

They were the power rangers.

And they were losing.

Tommy was watching the footage on the sphere shaped viewing globe, no longer taking as much notice of his surroundings, as to what he was seeing on the screen. The sound of every impact thundered around his ears, as did every word that seemed to be swapped between his costumed friends.

They were each so brilliantly skilled, individual weapons fluently violating the creature so expertly, that Tommy never could believe it really was his friends behind the masks. Their voices did give it away, though. They were fighting the monster, yet fighting each other at the same time and as Tommy heard Trini and Zack continue to argue, he looked around as a humongous voice grabbed his attention.

The voice belonged to the large bubblehead. He didn't even want to know where the rest of its body was.

"ALPHA, ATTEMPT TO CONTACT THE RANGERS ONCE AGAIN…PERHAPS WE WILL BE MORE SUCCESSFUL IF WE TRY TO MAKE CONTACT WITH KIMBERLY OR TRINI," the mystical being announced.

The bouncy robot was still racing around the room, and Tommy did his best to stay out of the way, but his eyes followed the intelligent machine with much curiosity. Tommy had seen that type of thing in a movie; talking robots, and machines with personalities, but they were just movies. This was real.

"Kimberly, do you read me?" Alpha 5 spoke into what appeared to be a speaker.

A moment passed, before the familiar voice replied, lacking all the sunshine Tommy had usually received from her.

"Alpha, I read you," she said breathlessly.

"KIMBERLY, WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE BOYS?" Zordon thundered loudly.

Tommy could see that Kimberly was in the middle of fending off the massive creature, before she swiftly flipped backward and moved her wrist back to her mask.

"Zordon…they're fighting okay. As long…as we can keep them away from other people, we should be okay," she stated in almost slurred, staggered words.

"Aie yi yi yi yi," the robot suddenly whined. "Rita is one twisted witch…Aie yi yi!"

"INDEED, THIS IS A MOST UNUSUAL SITUATION," Zordon conceded. "BUT I TRUST IN KIMBERLY'S OBSERVATIONS. WHILE WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE RANGERS, WE MUST ATTEMPT TO FIND AN ANTIDOTE FOR RITA'S TRUTH SERUM."

"I have attempted to breakdown the individual quantities in the concoction, and the only substance which will counteract the truth serum, is the Boboli plant, found only in the dimension of Celtrex."

"THAT IS ONE OF RITA'S DIMENSIONS'," Zordon swiftly explained. "WE MUST LOCATE A PORTAL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE-."

"Yes, Zordon, but even when we obtain the coordinates, we have no one to send to fetch the plant," Alpha 5 argued. "Jason, Zack and Billy are not in any state to do so, and the girls are too busy watching them-."

"Is there anything I can do?" Tommy suddenly spoke up.

He hadn't even thought about the offer, before he suggested it. It just came out.

Alpha 5 turned to look at him, the lights around the top of his head flashing.

Zordon nodded. "YES, TOMMY…THERE IS SOMETHING YOU COULD DO THAT WOULD HELP YOUR FRIENDS AT THEIR MOST CRUCIAL TIME OF NEED."

* * *

Back in the one sided battle, and Kimberly gritted her teeth and looked up from the grassy ground. It was the third consecutive time the creature had flung her against a nearby tree, and she was really starting to get annoyed by it. 

She quickly glanced around and then re-gathered herself. At least the crowd of curious observers had disappeared, but Kimberly's nerves' were still barely intact. It was hard enough merely attacking Rita's seemingly indestructible monster, yet having to practically baby-sit the physically stronger members of the team made the task unbearable.

"Step away," she announced, as she raised her power bow before her.

She pulled back on its intricate string, watching the sleek arrow move into position before expelling expertly toward the target. Kimberly barely blinked before she swiftly flipped to the left, managing to miss the creature's counter attack.

"Good work!" Trini pumped her hand in the air.

Kimberly watched as Zack tried to move his heavy axe toward the monster's side, but his movements were unusually slow and he lacked almost all ability to move out of the way.

_We are totally getting our butts kicked here!_

Zack finally gave up and let Jason through. His confidence was steadfast, but his newfound arrogance was all the too consuming. Damn Rita's spell- out of everyone to be affected, it was more than damaging that their mature leader was too busy trying to 'win' a contest, than to save the world.

Or at least his own ass.

The creature finally jabbed his own sword awkwardly toward Jason, sending the red ranger harshly to the ground. Kimberly's stomach instantly tied in a knot and she started toward him, stopping only as the creature grabbed her attention and moved in her way.

"Yellow ranger! Help me divert this bozo's attention!" she called out to her best friend, before she threw her body high into the air.

As if gravity wasn't an issue, her spin was almost flawless, until she moved her legs out to land and realized the creature was mirroring her movement. Their legs collided heavily and had it not been for her powers, Kimberly could have sworn her knees would have snapped from such an impact.

She cried out in anguish and helplessly flew backward. Body sprawled back on the ground, she only managed to crawl onto her knees before she heard the words that sent a chill down her spine.

"I think it's time to call on our zords," Jason stated, as he lowered his sword.

Kimberly practically leapt to her feet and swiftly dodged Zack, before stopping head on with Jason. She immediately moved her hands to his chest, wishing she could see through his tinted visor.

"Jason, don't be stupid…if we call the zords now, we risk getting into more trouble. The monster reflects all our attacks- if he reflects on the Megazord, than we might get it destroyed!"

Jason moved his hand around her wrist, almost as though to push her away. "Kim, you know when we call our zords we always win- this monster is no different."

She huffed a little under her breath. "Jason! This is serious-."

"And I'm the leader, remember? The red ranger? I'm the one who gets to make the decisions," he replied.

Kimberly stepped back and glared at him, simultaneously throwing an angry hand to her face.

"Zordon, you have got to teleport the boys out of here! They're gonna get us all killed!" she exclaimed with desperation.

"Zordon, Kimberly is the one with the problem- she's completely going against the team," Jason swiftly spoke into his own communicator.

"What?" Kimberly sputtered, dropping her free hand to her hip.

"I mean, next you'll be telling my mommy on me for not letting you make more decisions on the battle field," he said sarcastically.

Kimberly lowered her hands incredulously. "Jason! You are-."

"JASON AND KIMBERLY, YOU MUST CEASE YOUR CONFLICT. JASON, PREPARE FOR IMMEDIATE TELEPORTATION," Zordon's voice sounded loudly.

Kimberly stepped back and watched with relief and fear as her male teammates vanished in a wash of colorful light. Her heart was pounding from her conversation with Jason, but now she was starting to feel lightheaded.

_Oh God, Trini and I are on our own!_

She swung around suddenly as she felt a hand clamp around her shoulder, and immediately shot her arms out to assist her exhausted friend.

"Kim, how are we going to do this alone?"

Kimberly swallowed. "I…I don't know," she admitted with fear. "We've always followed Jason's lead."

Trini nodded and the two girls squared their gazes on the villain before them. It stared back at them motionless, waiting for their attacks- waiting to attack back,

"Okay," Kimberly decided out loud, but to herself. "We're not getting anywhere attacking him like this- he's not going to get tired-."

Her communicator chimed. Saved by the bell.

"KIMBERLY AND TRINI, I BELIEVE IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO CALL ON YOUR ZORDS."

"But Zordon, there's only two of us- without the others we can't call on the Megazord," Trini pointed out with concern.

"YOUR ZORDS ARE POWERFUL FIGHTING MACHINES INDIVIDUALLY- YOU ARE EXPERIENCED NOW, AND IT IS TIME YOU LEARN TO DEPEND ON YOUR INDIVIDUAL STRENGTHS IN COMBAT. IF YOU MONITOR YOUR TIMING, IT MAY BE THE ONLY WAY IN WHICH YOU CAN TRICK RITA'S MONSTER."

Kimberly grabbed her best friend's hand and squeezed it tight. "Let's show those boys some girl power," she said lightheartedly.

* * *

Far away from the struggling battle; from the rush and adrenalin that clung to the air around the two female rangers, two feet landed amongst a soft fog that created the illusion of a place that wasn't so. 

Tommy stood frozen. Motionless. He reached he hands tentatively to his torso and as they touched his shirt, he moved them with more urgency to his arms and then his head.

He was in one piece. God, what was this place and how did the mystical Zordon and his robotic assistant manage to literally zap him into the distant land? Tommy had felt his whole body explode into a cylinder of light, jetting through darkness until he felt his body reassemble like a jigsaw puzzle.

It hadn't hurt, but it sure did freak him out.

The dimension the ranger mentor had sent him to was strangely eerie to the point that Tommy almost felt silly for feeling anxious. Dense bush land enveloped his body. He began slowly up a narrow bath between the shrubs, and couldn't even hear his own footsteps or his rustling against the leaves that felt like they were grabbing at his limbs as he walked.

"This isn't so bad," he whispered to himself.

Up ahead, Tommy could see a slight clearing in the textured arms of trees, and he quickened his pace. Although he was still blown away by the thought that he was in another world as such, he didn't want to risk getting stuck there somehow.

_I can't believe this is what another dimension looks like…I thought Earth was the only place with trees?_

He stopped. Could it be that easy?

The plant the robot at the Command Center had described to Tommy in detail was unmistakably sitting in the center of the clearing. Its shell like petals were the only color against the dark canvas and Tommy knew immediately he had completed the mission.

He was actually going to help his friends- the power rangers!

Tommy pushed himself though the thickness becoming frustrated, until he finally fell forward and broke free from the clawing shrubbery. He got onto his knees and reached for the plant, moving his fingers into position so he could heave it from its gripping roots.

He pulled on the plant, shocked at it's resistance, and groaned madly as he tried to leverage his weight to his advantage.

But it barely moved.

_I should have brought a shovel…man I hate gardening…_

The adrenalin was like nothing else. For the first time in his life, Tommy suddenly felt like he had a real purpose.

* * *

So this was what nerves were all about. 

Sitting in a cockpit of your zord, thrashing about like a lost animal and feeling as though one single mistake could take your life. Take life period- change everything in the most incomprehensible way.

Trini did her best to steady the Saber-toothed Tiger zord just a short distance from the swiftly enlarged creature. It took only one step toward her lone zord, and the ground below rattled in response.

She released a breath, and swiftly moved her hand to the side consol, adjusting the frequency of her laser beam.

"Trini," Kimberly's voice suddenly burst through her speakers, "I'm going to circle him from above and try and confuse him that way…if you can keep his focus, I might be able to get him from the top."

Trini nodded her head to herself. "Sounds like a great plan," she enthused. "Be careful."

"Trini, do you hear me?" Alpha's voice chirped in.

"Yes, Alpha of course," Trini responded. She moved the power lever in front of her and watched the levels on her screen respond wildly.

"Remember the special attacks we worked through during training," the android continued. "The power gage before you will control your power levels, but you must initiate the tactical combinations on your side panel to engage these attacks…"

Trini immediately glanced at the panel, and moved her hand swiftly over the flashing buttons. Her eyes snapped through the windshield and she bit her lip as the ray of energy hummed out of the zord's glowing eyes above. The monster instantly moved into position, bracing itself expectedly, but was none the wiser to the girls' plan.

Trini licked her lips as she watched the pterodactyl zord slice through the air in the distance, intense flames scouring from its front cannons. The bulky creature seemed to stumble about, flicking its arms viciously as though to steady itself from the unexpected attack.

"Woo-hoo!" Kimberly enthused, as the agile zord easily swooped around the Regurgitator's counter-attack.

"Great work, Kim," Trini said. "Let's hope the boys join us soon…we might actually have a chance of turning this battle around…"

* * *

Jason glanced at Alpha 5, the robot's arms' extended and holding out what appeared to be three glasses filled with a green-colored liquid. Beside him, Zack wryly commented under his breath, before Billy swiftly picked up one of the glasses and peered at it closely. 

"JASON, ZACK AND BILLY, I REQUIRE YOU TO EACH DRINK ONE OF THE GLASSES…IT IS THE ONLY WAY IN WHICH WE WILL BE ABLE TO COUNTERACT RITA'S SPELL," Zordon stated.

Jason scoffed. There was no way he was going to drink anything that was _that _color. Besides, there was nothing wrong with him. If anyone had the issues, it was definitely Trini and Kimberly.

"No offence Z-man, but I don't want to try the flavor of the month from planet Bobbidy or whatever weird place you whipped that from," Zack told Zordon.

"Guys, just drink the stuff," Tommy suddenly spoke up. The martial artist was leaning against the farthest control panel, but stepped forward as he spoke.

Jason glanced at Zack and then back to Tommy. "You have no idea about this stuff," he stated. "You're not a ranger- in fact, no one knows anything about this stuff but us."

"Yeah, I mean if you only knew the wacko stuff that Zordon, Rita and all the others tried to pull on us everyday, then maybe you'd understand why we don't agree with the whole drinking of the drink thing," Zack added.

Tommy moved closer to them, motioning with an outstretched hand toward the viewing globe. Jason crossed his arms over his chest and briefly flicked his gaze in its direction, before he steadied it on Tommy.

"Kimberly and Trini are out, battling the monster alone," Tommy said.

"And it serves them right," Zack countered in an almost matter-of-fact tone. "They were the ones who wanted us gone."

Tommy released a loud breath, but Zordon spoke up quickly. "TOMMY IS RIGHT. YOU ARE ALL INCAPABLE OF MAKING RESPONSIBLE DECISIONS AT THIS TIME, BUT I NEED YOU TO THINK OF YOUR TEAM…TRINI AND KIMBERLY NEED YOU NOW."

That caused a twinge inside. Jason felt it as he heard her name, and for a moment he let everything else slide. He cared about Kimberly, didn't he? Then he'd definitely drink the drink to help her.

Jason reached forward without speaking and raised one of the glasses, as though he were toasting with thin air. "This is for Kim," he said.

He watched as Zack and Billy reluctantly followed suit and they each downed the thick liquid feverishly. Jason tried to let it slip past his tongue, trying to avoid the taste, but it clung to the roof of his mouth until he felt a warm sensation rush from his head to his toes.

Zack let out a disgusted groan from beside him, as he dropped the glass to the ground. Jason clumsily handed his glass back to Alpha 5, as he tried to roll his tongue in his mouth as though to clear the taste.

"Wh…" Jason blinked for a moment, eyes widening almost instantly as they focused on Tommy before him. "Tommy…"

"RANGERS, I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONFUSION, HOWEVER YOU'RE IMMEDIATELY REQUIRED TO ASSIST KIMBERLY AND TRINI IN ANGEL GROVE. THEY NEED YOUR HELP IN PUSHING BACK RITA'S NEWEST MONSTER."

"Zordon…all the things we said; our-."

"ZACK, I NEED YOU TO FOCUS AT THIS TIME. WE WILL DEAL WITH TODAY'S DEVELOPMENTS' ON YOUR RETURN. LOOK AFTER EACH OTHER AND MAY THE POWER PROTECT YOU."

Jason glanced around, unable to focus his gaze. All the things he said, all the things he did, suddenly came rushing toward him at a pace he couldn't deal with. Guilt hammered at him and he wanted to shove the words that he'd said back down his throat.

He cleared his throat and reluctantly raised his gloved hands to the belt of his uniform. The feelings inside him told him he didn't even deserve to still be wearing his ranger suit, but he pushed them aside. If Zordon could at least temporarily leave their breach in the past, then surely he could too.

"Back into action!" he announced, before he teleported himself back to the battle at hand. It was time to focus.

* * *

Tommy watched with clear marvel in his eyes, as the five bursts of colors illuminated the usually dark Command Center, and then quickly sucked away. Before him, his friends stood momentarily still, before the pink ranger slowly moved her hand to the base of her helmet, and clicked it undone. 

Kimberly's hair fell messily on her shoulders as she shoved the pink headpiece under her arm, but her wary eyes didn't meet his. She seemed to be too busy watching her teammates as they followed suit, silence remaining, until she softly spoke to them.

"Are you guys okay?"

Zack and Billy were staring at the ground, as Trini patted the black ranger lightly on the shoulders. Jason finally spoke up, and he took in every set of eyes in the room as he did so.

"I'm really sorry about what happened today. I know it's hard to forgive us, and I can't begin to explain why I said what I did, but I'm sorry…" his eyes moved to Zordon. "I'm sorry Zordon…I never meant to break the ranger code."

"JASON, YOUR WORDS ARE SPOKEN WITH MUCH REGRET, AND INDEED I UNDERSTAND YOUR FEELINGS OF REMORSE. RITA'S SPELL TODAY DID INDEED CATCH US UNEXPECTEDLY, BUT WHAT SHOULD BE REMEMBERED IS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO CONTAIN ANY ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES THAT COULD HAVE COME FROM HER TRUTH SERUM."

Zack shook his head, as though he didn't agree. "But we told someone our identity…are you going to take our powers from us?"

"NO, ZACK; YOUR ACTIONS TODAY WERE NOT YOUR OWN. THROUGH THE MANY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES YOU HAVE FACED AS A TEAM, I AM PROUD OF YOU ALL AND I WOULD NEVER ACCEPT RITA'S INFLUENCE ABOVE THE MATURITY, THE RESPONSIBILITY AND COURAGE THAT I KNOW IS INSIDE EACH OF YOU."

Alpha 5 suddenly moved before them all, and seemed to rest a tender arm on Billy's. "We must say a very big thank you to your friend Tommy for his assistance today…without his help, it would have been impossible for us to obtain the cure for Rita's spell."

The rangers all looked in Tommy's direction, and he pursed his lips a little. He felt embarrassed; how could they be grateful to him for the one small piece of help he gave them? They saved the planet on an almost daily basis!

Jason stepped toward him, a gloved hand extended. Tommy swiftly swiped the firm hand in his and held on it tightly, before he released it.

"Man…thanks for everything…I really." Jason paused. "I can't thank you enough for saving our butts today. I hope that you're not too freaked out."

Tommy decided to hold back the truth. "Nuh, no of course not, man," he quickly reassured him. "I just hope I haven't caused too much trouble for you all."

"TOMMY, WHILE WE HAVE ALWAYS ENFORCED THE PROTECTION OF THE RANGER IDENTITIES, I AM SURE WE WOULD AGREE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN LARGELY INVOLVED IN OUR PLIGHT AGAINST RITA REPULSA'S FORCES IN MORE WAYS THAN WE WOULD HAVE EXPECTED. WE WELCOME YOU AS OUR FRIEND, BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN I ASK THAT YOU PROMISE TO KEEP THE IDENTITIES OF THE RANGERS A SECRET FOREVER ON."

Tommy was in awe by the being's words'. While his appearance was still startling to Tommy, he had learnt in a very short space of time that there was something magnetic about him; something that made Tommy believe him and to trust in him. He knew at that moment that that was why the rangers' looked up at the wise sage with such unspoken respect.

Tommy nodded his head quickly. "Of course," he said, before he looked back at the rangers. "Your secret's safe with me."

Kimberly let out a little squeal of delight, and gave Trini a high five, before the boys followed suit. Tommy watched in quiet envy, not of their powers or secret identities, but of the special bond he could only dream of.

He turned and walked around a little aimlessly, before he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he offered Kimberly a smile, as always mesmerized by the twinkle in her eyes. Gosh- messy hair, tired eyes and all, she was so pretty.

"You okay?" she asked simply, squeezing his arm a little.

He nodded and she motioned with her head. "Come join us…we're still your friends."

* * *

Angel Grove Park was peacefully desolate that afternoon, the slightly overcast sky creating an almost comfortable canopy as Kimberly and Tommy walked side by side. The silence remained between them; comments came every once in a while, but as they followed the winding path, the silence remained the most. 

It wasn't overly awkward. Kimberly watched the passing scenery with a feeling of inexpressible relief, quietly thinking of how wonderful the day was, now that there was one less person in her life that she had to lie to anymore.

Beside her, keeping the small distance between them, Tommy cleared his throat. She looked up at him expectedly and he smiled at her. That caught her curiosity, and she clumsily walked into him, making them both laugh.

That was awkward.

"Hey, tell me this," he suddenly said. "When I was kidnapped and Rita Repulsa had us both, why didn't you morph into a power ranger then?"

Kimberly's face drew into serious thought. There were so many questions she knew Tommy would have for her; she could only imagine how the past month had looked to him.

She glanced at him evenly as they continued along. "Besides from keeping my identity a secret, I didn't have my power morpher…it wasn't until the monster was beaten, that Goldar must have dropped it." She paused, as the memory came to her. "Actually, it was you that picked it up," she added.

He looked at her surprised. "Really? But I don't remember that."

"Billy explained to me that your memories were probably distorted because of the trauma you experienced," she explained. "He worked hard to make sure you were well enough to go home."

Tommy's eyes' had drifted restlessly, and Kimberly could literally see the thoughts and the memories rolling through his mind.

"So, the whole media thing, you were just pretending?"

She blushed a little. "All part of the job. The one thing we've all had to learn since we became rangers is to lie and cover every single little thing. I can't even count the amount of times I've had to lie to family, to outside friends…even to teachers."

"But, you haven't had a choice," he spoke up, as though trying to convince her.

Kimberly looked up at him almost gratefully. "You know, it is such a relief to finally tell somebody else. I know it never should have happened, but I'm glad you know." She kept her gaze on his. "You have to stay friends with us now," she added coyly.

He smiled, more openly than usual. "Now I feel really stupid for trying to protect you in that desert place and on the Ferris wheel," he nearly mumbled. "You must of thought I was such an idiot."

Kimberly suddenly stopped and reached for his arm to turn him around. "No way," she told him seriously. "You were really brave out there. You were awesome."

He laughed a little. "I don't think so."

Kimberly laughed a little herself as the silence came back. Tommy began walking slowly and she followed.

"Can I ask you something?" he suddenly asked.

"Sure. Of course, anything."

He paused and Kimberly waited patiently. "Is Jason…your…"

Kimberly shot a direct look at him, eyes squinted as though confused, yet knowing exactly what he was asking her. He returned her look, seemingly shocked by her reaction and Kimberly wondered if he saw it. She felt frozen, but as always, shook her head dismissively.

"No," she breathed out. "Jason and I aren't…we're just friends…"

"Oh."

They both looked back out ahead, returning to their own comfort zones. The silent times between them, while not awkward, were safe. Kimberly's heart was pounding in her throat, her mind rushing madly as she wondered why he had the question and why she had answered it.

She kicked a pebble, watching it skid across the path. "Why did you ask that?" she asked him.

He didn't answered straight away, but the words quickly tumbled out. "No reason, I just thought you two…" he shrugged. "Just something he said today…"

Kimberly felt her eyes widen. She wanted to know what he said so badly, but didn't ask. "He was under a spell," she reminded him casually. "The guys all said a lot of stuff today I'm sure they didn't mean…"

"You did really good today, though," Tommy pointed out with a genuine tone.

Kimberly could feel herself blush at his compliment. "Thanks Tommy."

--

**Next in Episode 20 "Out of Control: Part 1":** _Rita uses Trini's deep-seeded resentment towards her parents against her, by taking over her body, mind and soul with an ancient demon. As the spell begins to turn the yellow ranger into the opposite of what she's always stood for, how will her friends deal when everything comes crashing down and they can't get through to her?_

_A/N- Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them! There were a few 'unsolved' or 'non-specific' mentions in this episode, and I'm sure they'll be followed up in later chapters...so until next time, have a great day and thanks for reading! _


	21. Ep20: Out of Control I

**REBIRTH OF THE LEGACY**

By Chanelle Summer

**Out of Control - Episode 20**

**

* * *

**

_**Saturday 23rd April, 1994**_

There were times when Trini was at home, when she felt she'd gone back a day or a year, despite a new day ticking over. She'd noticed her father's attempts to regress and hide Trini from the 'real world' since the day she remembered her first memory. It started with warnings of diseases that lurked in the sandbox at kindergarten, and meshed into admonitions of the typical youthful clichés of rebellion and evil 'American' teenagers who would try to lead her on the wrong path.

Despite her father's suffocating shielding, Trini learnt to think one thing and do another. It was called growing up. Each year she would tell herself that it would be the last- that her father would finally loosen the psychological shackles he had locked around her limbs and she would finally be able to live a normal life like all her friends.

It still hadn't happened. But hey, Trini just told herself that she _was_ finally becoming her own, separate person. She was a ranger now, something she knew her father would probably hate, but at the same time she was doing it anyway. Funny thing was, it was the thing Trini was most proud of, and the only time she could think of that she actually rebelled against her father's beliefs. Ironic.

"_They're aliens, Trini. They cannot be trusted!" _he would harp to her, and Trini would pretend to look for something in the fridge when she was really just rolling her eyes. It wasn't difficult to know what her father didn't like- after all; he didn't seem to really like or trust anything.

Except for Lin Kwan.

Trini's oldest and only sibling was as beautiful on the inside, as she was on the outside, and her father never failed to mention it. She had sacrificed much of a normal childhood to please her heritage and her father's dreams. While her surgeon father believed that Lin was such a good person that she wanted to give up everything for his ideals, truth was Trini knew very well that Lin really wished she was born in another family.

And that's where the two sisters were opposite- what Lin dreamed of, Trini was making damn certain she would achieve.

In the present time, Trini was still sitting in her best clothes in their formal living room, watching the scene before her with silent aggravation. The way her parents were fussing over her sister and warbling away in Chinese was starting to annoy the yellow ranger, when all she wanted to do was give her sister a hug and say hello in English. It had been nearly a year.

She was still the same Lin, though.

"Trini!" Lin finally broke free from her father's clutches', and hurriedly embraced the yellow ranger.

Trini smiled genuinely in that moment of reunion, before they pulled apart or more honestly, He pulled them apart.

"Lin, tell your grandmother about your results," he began, reaching for Lin's hands' and pulling her gently to the couch beside him.

Trini realized they had just taken her chair, and she reluctantly walked to the adjoining dining room and dragged a chair back in to sit on herself.

* * *

Later that night, Trini retreated to the comfort of her room, running a brush over her hair and enjoying the smooth texture of her waist long locks. As she finished and placed the brush on her nightstand, she succinctly remembered all the times her sister had been the one to brush her hair for her. It had been a small token of bonding they had often shared when the yellow ranger's sister had still been living at home, and now Lin was back home visiting, Trini realized how much she missed it. 

Fighting the urge to ruffle her hair on the hope that Lin would offer to brush the knots out for her, Trini turned to peel the covers of her bedspread back, when her slightly ajar bedroom door purred open.

"Father really needs to get somebody in to fix the taps in that shower," Lin commented as she closed the door behind her and lowered herself down on the other side of the double bed. "Just because he operates on humans, does not mean he can operate on plumbing."

Trini smiled a little, thinking about how the rattling pipes in the family's shower always annoyed her.

Lin glanced at her as she quickly ruffled her wet hair with her towel. "I hope you don't mind me sharing your bed," she spoke up sincerely.

Trini shook her head, as she climbed in on her side. "I am so happy you're home, Lin…I've really missed you."

Lin quickly tossed her damp towel over the chair to Trini's desk and the yellow ranger raised herself quickly on her elbows. "Lin, dad will not be happy if he sees that towel there."

Her sister gave her a funny look, but didn't move the towel. "Aw Trini, he is not that bad," she said.

Trini tried not to flinch, but she was almost maddened by the comment, even though Lin hadn't sounded malicious in the slightest. "Actually, he is," Trini corrected her, as Lin crawled under the covers beside her. "He goes down hard on me all the time for doing things like that. Maybe he won't to you, but if I did that, I'd get a really hard time for it."

Lin rolled over and gently brushed Trini's bangs to the side. "Why are you so bitter toward him, Trini? I didn't realize he upset you so much."

Trini looked away a little, feeling guilty. "I guess I get tired sometimes of always having to be perfect…when he talks about my friends, he says that their lives are not good enough for me, and when he speaks about you, he says that it is like I am not good enough."

Lin's face drew serious. "That's not true, Trin! Your doing good at school, and mom told me you have been doing a lot of community work, also." Lin paused and Trini shrugged a little. "Be happy…you are doing great things."

Trini smiled a little, wanting to let Lin know she was grateful for her words, even if she didn't really believe them. The only thing Trini did know, was that everyone would have to be proud of her if they knew she spent at least four afternoons a week saving the city and keeping world peace in check.

But even though Trini had always wanted to tell her father, almost as if to prove an inconceivable point, she really wanted to tell her sister more because she knew that her only sibling would be proud and excited for her. There wouldn't be any of the voiced objections, the reminding of danger or concerns that it wasn't really a career that was good enough for the family.

"…Trini?"

Trini blinked and Lin smiled a little. "What were you thinking?" she asked.

Trini tried to cover her bashful thoughts. "Actually, I was thinking that we should go and do some shopping tomorrow. They renovated the city walk mall and the shops are really great," Trini suggested.

"Sounds fantastic. You should bring Kim along too, okay?"

Trini reached over and clicked her lamp off. "Sounds like fun."

* * *

From her moon base, a seemingly grand distance from Angel Grove, Rita spied on the Kwan residence with growing interest. It wasn't unusual for the space witch to watch the movements on her newest foes, but usually she saw nothing that could remotely help her in her plight to destroy them. 

Ordinarily, she only saw a bunch of teenagers engaging in childish activities or gossiping over silly earthling topics. They were nauseatingly the goody-goodies she hated most in the galaxy, and rarely did she see anything that showed them in any other kind of light.

Until now.

Jealously. Envy. Bitterness. The yellow ranger; the quiet, reserved and controlled yellow ranger was beginning to crack. Nothing Rita had ever thrown in her direction had seemed to frazzle the Asian girl, yet something as simple as her sister visiting her had seemed to stir unsavory glances and comments from her placid mouth.

_This is quite interesting,_ Rita thought with a touch of a grin, stroking the guardrail of the balcony as she continued to watch Trini though her viewing scope.

Rita's mind continued to weave through the possibilities as she watched, but she swiftly moved back as Trini finally drifted off to sleep. The space witch smiled, and casually turned around.

"Baboo- get for me my ancient spell book!" she suddenly demanded, spotting her alien servant standing obediently in the far corner of the room.

The lean alien nodded nervously and hurriedly moved to a tall bookcase. As he fetched the archaic book from its place, Baboo released a burst of breath on its heavy cover, sending a wind of dust into the air.

Rita extended her hand and snatched her Bible from the alien, before she swiftly sat in her throne. She knowingly flicked through the thick pages, stopping as a familiar page leapt up to her dark eyes.

"Ah, yes!" she practically gushed with excitement.

Her eyes scrolled across the hymn and rested on the illustration underneath. The haunting image of a bony werewolf, salivating and looking back at her with ghostly eyes cemented her plan.

It was time to have some fun with the yellow ranger.

* * *

**_Sunday 24th April 1994 _**

Trini opened the plastic bag on her lap, and gently slipped the sunny garment out for display. Across from her, Kimberly's eyes' widened with delirious excitement, and she excitedly took the top from her best friend for closer inspection.

"Wow, Trin…I am so glad you brought this top," Kimberly shared, as she looked at Trini's sister beside her. "Trini is so lucky she can pull these colors off."

Lin nodded. "I know, I really wish I could wear more yellow," the older girl shared.

Trini watched the two continue to chatter away, secretly smiling at the thought of someone being able to rival the pink ranger in the shopping stakes. The three girls had immensely enjoyed their shopping trip in the city that day, but Kimberly and Lin both managed to take it to the next level. Shopping wasn't just a hobby- it was serious business.

Kimberly suddenly burst out about a pair of jeans she'd brought, and Trini giggled at her friend as she stood up and held the denim pants to her waist, spinning around for show. "These are the best jeans I have ever brought for ten bucks," she gushed.

Trini was, as always, swept up in her friend's enthusiasm. "Do you think Mrs. Scott will say anything about the fact that you now own twenty pairs of jeans?" the yellow ranger joked.

Kimberly lowered the pants a little and shrugged. "Hey, that's only twenty days out of the month…still another ten to go," she joked back.

The yellow ranger was about to respond, when an image in black leather and worn denim approached them, lowering a tray of frothy drinks to their table. The boy glanced at Trini, and she smiled a little, holding his gaze, until Kimberly broke through the moment.

"Thanks for the drinks, Richie," Kimberly said, sitting down in her seat.

Ernie's nephew smiled a little shyly, and Kimberly shared a private glance with Trini. The girls watched the quiet boy return to the juice bar, before they finally spoke up again.

Kimberly leant over the table. "Did you see that, Trini? He was totally crushing on you," she whispered, her eyes dancing and a grin growing on her face.

Trini smiled a little shyly. "He is really gorgeous," the yellow ranger agreed, but she quickly shook her head. "I don't think he's really my type," she added quickly. She had first been introduced to the boy only a week earlier, only to later overhear that he had just been expelled from Malua Bay High. Trini didn't know the whole story, but she could tell by his dark, distant eyes that he wasn't a very happy person.

Kimberly pouted a little, before Lin glanced over her shoulder. "He's dressed like a punk," she shared, looking at Trini unfavorably. "You could do much better than that."

Trini took a sip from her drink, ignoring her sister's unwavering gaze. While she could agree that Richie wasn't always well dressed, Trini saw it more as a style, than a deliberate attempt to appear as though he didn't care about his appearance.

"I'm just going to go to the washroom," Trini quickly excused herself, and headed knowingly to the female toilets.

She pushed through the door and waited as two women in sports uniforms finished at the basin, before she walked up to the sink. Trini glanced into the mirror and absentmindedly ran her hands under the running water, enjoying the peace and quiet that came from the empty room.

Trini sighed a little, and turned the tap off. Leaning toward the large mirror, she ran her hand over her long, shiny locks in a quick attempt to make sure she looked as nice as she possibly could. She was slightly irked at the way Lin had spoken about Richie…Trini never spoke out on what _she _liked or what _she_ wanted.

If she liked Richie, then what was the big deal? It wasn't as though she was planning on marrying him.

Trini swept a final hand across her neat bangs. As she did so, the reflected light in the mirror seemed to suddenly distort; the shiny surface darkening.

And she swore she saw the image of a werewolf flash before her.

Trini flinched and jumped back. She closed her eyes quickly, and then swiftly snapped them back open.

The mirror was normal.

Trini released a labored breath, suddenly feeling her previous frustration turned into an unquenchable and misdirected rage, bubbling in her veins.

* * *

Trini was suddenly out of control. She didn't know what had come about to steal the usual calmness from her serene nature, but she didn't care about that. She felt powerful, in control- and she was going to make sure they all knew it. 

The yellow ranger angrily stormed out of the female washroom, pacing feverishly up the hallway and out into the juice bar. She focused her gaze on the table nearby, her eyes narrowing further as she spotted a new addition to their table of three.

_What is he doing here?_ Trini clenched her teeth, not bothering to cover her anger as she glared at her father.

Her surgeon father didn't notice Trini as she watched them from afar, apparently too immersed in the untarnished light that Lin seemed to be giving off. Just seeing the two so gooey and happy nearly set her off. They could flaunt their close relationship as much as they wanted- but Trini refused to sit around play happy families around it!

The table of three continued to chat unknowingly, until brown eyes moved from the two Kwan's and settled in Trini's direction. Kimberly was all smiles as usual, but her soft face reverted a little as she connected with the bitterness in Trini's eyes'.

Trini just stared coldly at her best friend. If she wanted to pretend she got along so well with Trini's father, than she was a traitor, too.

Kimberly gestured with an extended hand to Trini, and the motion finally grabbed the attention of the yellow ranger's father.

His eyes locked with Trini's and he straightened himself up. "Oh, Trini, I'm glad you're here-."

"Why? So I can sit around and listen to you go on and on about Lin like a broken record?" Trini shot back, pacing up to the table and stopping with her arms across her chest.

Their three faces were pure shock. Kimberly's eyes' widened, as though privately trying to settle her down, but Trini ignored her. Instead, she settled her twisted lips on her father, quite enjoying the feeling of power for once.

His bushy eyebrows were slanted. "Trini!" he hissed. "Wherever does this come from?"

Trini sighed a little and rolled her eyes. "Gees, dad, I don't know…maybe I am just tired of pretending to be fine with you treating me like I'm not important…if I'm not important, than why do you always feel the need to control every aspect of my life, huh?" Trini flung a careless hand in her sister's direction. "You even have Lin sounding like you do!"

Kimberly glanced around uncomfortably, as she begun to stand up. "Uh, Trini-."

Trini let out a deliberate groan, cutting the pink ranger off rather rudely. "Save the speech, Kimberly," she drawled. "The last thing I need is you telling me that my father is right."

"Trini, you will stop this inappropriate display right now, do you understand?" her father stood up, reaching for Trini's arm with his hand.

Trini huffed and grabbed her milkshake from the table, tossing the milky contents toward him. "Deal with that!" she spat at him, turning and pacing out of the juice bar, ignoring the shocked eyes that followed her from all directions.

Her father's anguished voice carried itself behind her as she stormed down the hall to the exit, and pushed through the double swinging doors. Trini's feet were brisk and determined, but she continued directionless, stopping only as she reached the back corner of the community center and noticed her reflection in a window.

The reflection was stale. Her lanky body was, as always, hugged in beige, tailored coordinates, not a hair out of place on her head. The image of perfection; or more specifically, of obedience.

Stuff culture…heritage…family pride.

It was time for Trini to come out.

* * *

**_Monday 25th April 1994 _**

Kimberly had her hands wrapped around the straps of her backpack, as though releasing the pressure of her conscious. She used to find it quite intriguing whenever she watched Jason tear up a punching bag every time he was unusually stressed, but she was finally seeing the value in such a release of tension. Maybe if she could just find a punching bag somewhere in the halls of Angel Grove High, then everything would be okay… _Okay, Kim, you're being stupid now_.

So instead, she convinced herself that she would handle her frazzled nerves the way she usually did. She'd talk about it. If only she could find Her amongst the thick clouds of students in the locker hall.

"Who are you looking for?" Jason pulled her out of her thoughts.

Kimberly absentmindedly closed her locker door, before she realized she'd forgotten to take her books out. She quickly grabbed them out, before turning to give the red ranger her attention.

"I was hoping to see Trini before first period."

"She's got science first period…you know she usually just goes straight to class."

Kimberly pursed her lips a little, and they began to make their way through the seeming wall of teenagers at the opening of the corridor. The pink ranger ducked her head a little and pushed under somebody's arm, before she finally felt free to breath and waited for Jason to join her on the other side.

"Hey Tommy," Jason's eyes' lit up a little over Kimberly's shoulder.

The pink ranger turned around in time to watch as their friend jogged down the nearby stairs and slowed before them. He offered his usual, no-fuss smile, before running his hand over his slightly disheveled hair. Kimberly thought he was probably in due need for a good hair cut, but for a moment she was captivated by his good looks and was more than grateful for the distraction.

"Hey, did you guys get that homework done for English?" Tommy asked, as the three friends began strolling slowly up the hallway to the right. They still had more than enough time to get a morning catch-up in before their first class.

"Yeah, but I swear that third question was an attempt to trick us, or something," Jason mused.

Kimberly remained quiet and Tommy picked up on her unusual disinterest to contribute to conversation. "What about you, Kimberly? English is your favorite class, right?"

Kimberly offered him a smile. "Yeah, I finished it," she told him. "Mind you, I wasn't really in the mood last night and I totally had my mind on other things."

He looked at her carefully and she could see it in his eyes. It was probably good that he reminded her at that moment, because she'd completely forgotten that Tommy now knew of their secret ranger lives. Only thing was, this morning her mind was far off her life as a superhero.

"Nuh, nothing like that," she assured him.

They stopped as they heard raised voices from a nearby classroom, and Kimberly curiously tiptoed to the opened door. She quickly rocked back on her feet, before she shot a look to her two male friends to come and look.

_Why is Trini's dad yelling at Mr. Caplan? _Kimberly thought in utter confusion, as she watched the well-dressed surgeon seemingly arguing at the school principal.

The Asian man quickly spotted the snooping teens, and extended a swift and vicious finger in their direction.

"Where is Trini?" he practically snapped at her.

Kimberly gulped back her shock at being spoken to in such a volatile manner, as she stepped into the room with Jason and Tommy standing close behind her.

"Uh, Mr. Kwan-."

"Trini has not been like herself," he continued with urgency.

Kimberly blinked, as the four sets of eyes in the room squared on her. "Well uh, maybe Trini is just having a bad week?" she suggested hopefully, almost grimacing as she made the suggestion.

Mr. Kwan lowered his extended finger, but his eyes remained cold. "I know my daughter – her outburst yesterday was completely out of character. At home yesterday, she started talking about some boy and how she no longer wants to go to medical school!"

"Mr. Kwan-."

"Is Trini taking drugs?" he suddenly accused, the comment rendering Kimberly completely speechless.

Her mouth was left slightly open, her eyes squinting in desperate confusion. Was Trini's father really being serious? Did he really believe that his daughter, one of the most hardworking, dedicated and responsible people Kimberly had ever known would really succumb to a habit as demoralizing and destructive as drugs?

"Well-."

"Of course not!" Kimberly snapped defensively.

Mr. Caplan cleared his throat and promptly stepped between them. "Uh, Mr. Kwan, this is not the time or the place to be discussing this with my students," he intervened. "Why don't I take you to my office, and we can discuss your concerns further."

The two men left the room, Kimberly looking away as Mr. Kwan squared his suspicious gaze on her and Mr. Caplan ordered them to go to class. As she heard the door close behind them, a hand touched her shoulder and she turned around to the sanctuary of her friends.

"What on Earth was that about?" Jason asked her a little numbly.

Kimberly shook her head, still dazed herself. "I haven't got a clue," she told him.

* * *

In, pause, out…The waves continued to rebel, grabbing the shoreline, before they quickly raced back out to sea as though realizing there was nothing on earth that would make them want to possibly stay. 

Trini lazily sat the end of the cigarette at the edge of her lips, unconsciously filling her lungs, before she watched the smoke expel into the otherwise un-spoilt sky above her. Painting the town a ghastly, rebellious steel was Trini's mission that day.

So this was what freedom tasted, smelt and felt like. No school, no pretending she was somebody she wasn't. She could imagine the fit her father was having over her 'coming out'; hell, she was even certain he stormed in and tore down the school that morning.

Yes, it just made her feel that her decision to free herself was the right one.

After going on a shopping spree and spending every last dime in her savings account on a new wardrobe, she got her ears pierced twice in both ears and spent the hour afterwards sitting in the public washroom and scribbling vicious lines about her try-hard ex friends. It felt _so _good.

Now she sat amongst the sand dunes at her favorite beach in Malua Bay, choking down a packet of cigarettes she had purchased from a tiny corner store well rumored to sell smokes to under-aged kids. Shedded of her 'goody-goody' look probably aided the purchase- even she had to admit she looked a good couple of years older with eyeliner, feet clad in heels and her schoolgirl hair cut unkempt and more modern.

As she let another trail of smoke out into the gentle breeze, she heard some steps behind her, but didn't bother to look up to see if she was in the way. They could go around her if they wanted so badly to get through. She was tired of always having to be the considerate one!

"You probably shouldn't be doing that," the familiar voice spoke up, earning her attention.

She could distinguish the deep voice didn't belong to anyone of her ranger teammates or her father, and threw an icy glance at him as he sat down beside her.

Richie folded his jean-hugged knees to his chest and looked out at the sea as though nothing was strange about the situation. Trini narrowed her gaze.

"Let me guess, my father sent you to spy on me? When you go back and tattle on me, make sure you tell him that not only did I get both my ears pierced twice, but I also managed to smoke ten smokes in one sitting and I let everyone in the city know what a suffocating controller he is by sprawling it all over the washrooms on Swift Street."

Richie was finally looking her way, but she ignored him. "Why are you acting so…out there?" he asked.

She snorted. "Like you can talk. I overheard your uncle- I know you're not exactly a saint," she stated coldly.

_Here I was thinking how cute he was, and all he can seem to do is harp on like my friends or parents…maybe it's a disease or something…_

"You might think it's a cool thing to sit around and smoke that entire packet of cigs, but all it'll do is get you hooked. It's expensive-."

"I don't need the lecture," she stated. "Just go away if that's why you're here."

"Actually, I'm here because I visit this beach nearly every day…especially as I can't go back to school until the new school year, there's nothing much to do around here. That is, unless you like to sit around and eat fancy bagels in your best designer clothes for show."

She managed a small smile at him, then. He really wasn't much different to her; only he was trying to escape the cosmopolitan moldings of where he lived, while she was trying to escape the moldings of her father.

He extended a fleeting hand towards the nearly extinguished cigarette balancing between her fingers. "I never used to be much of a smoker…When I got busted at school for cheating in that exam, my dad caught me that afternoon dragging on like my third smoke ever…guess that's poetic justice, you know?"

She shrugged a little.

"So, tell me again- why are you suddenly skipping school and dressed like you're the mistress of the head honcho of a motorcycle gang?"

Trini drove the cigarette into the ground beneath her, before she slowly stood up and roughly brushed the sand off her skirt.

"Tell you what, I'm having a party tonight at my place…come around if you like, and I'll tell you more," she told him, as she turned her back on him and left him behind.

* * *

There was a very strange feeling in the air as Jason walked almost absentmindedly toward the Kwan residence after school that day. Beside him, his friends were each handling the strange situation surrounding Trini's apparent truancy from school in different ways and the red ranger couldn't work out which theory he agreed with. 

Billy and Zack seemed to be of the opinion that Mr. Kwan was simply exaggerating his daughter's apparent snap into a rebellious derelict, pointing out that over the years they had all been friends with Trini, he had often come down hard on her for even the smallest of things.

"_Yeah, I mean remember that time we were mucking around and pretending we were gangsters from that movie and he came to pick Trini up and spotted us playing with pretend cigarettes? He had a total fit and threatened to not let her visit again, until my mom calmed him down," _Zack had reminded them.

Kimberly was quick to point out that as she had been the only one of them to actually be present when Trini had her infamous lash-out at the Youth Center the afternoon beforehand, she really was the only one to understand that it wasn't just a case of Mr. Kwan overreacting.

"I mean, Trini is my best friend, but the way she was acting was completely wrong," Kimberly stated. "I know that if something really bad was happening at home, that she would have told one of us…I just don't understand why she would suddenly get so angry like that…"

Jason finally spoke up. "Yeah, he was suggesting that she's taking drugs…Trini would never take drugs," he stated firmly, still reeling from the heated conversation they had had with Mr. Kwan that morning before class.

They all seemed to sigh in unison, until Jason's gaze suddenly settled on a figure walking in their direction across the street. He felt himself become mesmerized, his pupils swirling as though he was forcing himself to focus; to convince himself that what he was seeing, wasn't really there.

"Oh. My. God," Kimberly muttered, as they all came to a sudden stop.

"Trini?" Zack gasped out loud, as the figure in black approached the group.

As her lean body sauntered toward the group, Jason could see quite clearly that it was the yellow ranger, yet everything about the picture was wrong. Her hair was messy; her body hugged closely in a short skirt and layered, frayed tank top, while her cold eyes were haunted in a thick and smoky ring of eyeliner.

She stopped in front of them, one hand resting on her cocked hip, whilst the other fidgeted with a lit cigarette.

"Trini?" Kimberly repeated, bobbing her head in complete shock, before she stepped toward her. "What are you wearing?"

Trini stared almost eerily at the pink ranger as she took a long, exaggerated drag from her cigarette and blew the smoke nastily in Kimberly's face.

Kimberly instantly whipped her hand up to fan the smoke away and glared at her best friend through squinted eyes.

Trini seemed to find her response amusing. "I knew there was a reason I ditched you today," the yellow ranger finally spoke. "Just how long are you going to keep up with the act?"

Kimberly scoffed, turning to glance at her male teammates in disbelief before she returned her angered glance at Trini. "Who's the one acting? At least I'm not the one walking the streets, pretending I'm someone completely not me."

Jason couldn't stay quiet a minute longer. "Trini, we know you're pissed at your dad, but acting like this is not the answer," he tried to reason with her.

She sneered, leveling her empty gaze on him. "You're not my brother, Jason and you're certainly not my father, so you can stick the lecture."

Zack shook his head bitterly beside the red ranger. "Who would have thought your dad was actually right for once?" he commented dolefully.

Trini cocked her head at his comment, her lips twisting into a horrible scowl. "I knew I couldn't rely on you guys…you're just as bad as he is. Don't talk to me again and don't ever come near me again. Understand?" The last word was more of an exclamation rather than a question, and she spun around and stormed off before any of them could respond.

They were left dumbstruck, wordless; the notion of their untainted circle of friendship suddenly ripped apart by an image of a friend who was suddenly somebody they didn't know.

* * *

The conversation played over in her mind at least a hundred times. Every time Kimberly thought about the run-in with Trini that afternoon, she noticed something different; something worse. At first it had just been the horror of _seeing _her, but then it became so much more about the things she said and the spite in her vindictive tone. 

_I knew that Trini was upset at her father, but I had no idea things were this bad…why didn't she tell me?_

Kimberly sighed, and rolled over on the couch. The remote was hanging precariously in her limp arm and she flicked through half a dozen channels. There was nothing on. At a time when she just needed that type of distraction, she was left to nothing but her thoughts.

She heard the recliner squeak beside her, but she didn't raise her head to acknowledge them.

"What's wrong Kim?"

Kimberly lazily moved her head so she was looking at Kath and tried a half-hearted effort to appear like nothing in the world could be bothering her.

"Nothing," she replied quietly.

"Now don't try telling me that- I know something is wrong with you when you're moping around on the couch when there's nothing on television…" She smiled gently. "I thought maybe you would be spending the afternoon with Trini while her sister is in town?"

Kimberly could figuratively feel her eyes darken, before she succumbed to a long-winded sigh. "No…not today…" She swung her feet around and propped herself up on the suede chair with her legs crossed. "Trini and I had a fight…"

Kath looked genuinely surprised by the confession, but waited for Kimberly to continue.

"Okay, so it wasn't really a fight, as such…" Kimberly was honestly confused. She couldn't remember actually doing anything that would cause Trini to lash out at her, but at the same time her friend was obviously angry with them for some reason. Did that make it a fight, though?

"What did you fight about?" Kath asked her, when the pink ranger found herself lost at what to say next.

"I don't really know…I mean, she's been kinda bummed lately at her dad. You know Mr. Kwan's always been kinda…strict." She paused, hoping she wasn't sounding too disrespectful, but at the same moment her mind flashed back to the altercation at school that morning. "I don't know why, but Trini's been changing…like she's rebelling, trying to be someone she's not."

"What kind of things has she been doing?"

Kimberly hugged one of the scatter pillows to her chest. She felt like such a tattler, but at the same time she knew she could trust Kath to keep what she said between them.

She shrugged a little. "She's been dressing all different, wearing really crazy clothes and saying really weird things…She got her ears pierced- twice- without her dad knowing and when he finds out, he's going to kill her…and, she skipped school today."

Kath leaned over and turned the television down a little, talking as she did so. "Have you tried talking to Trini? You two are so close, I'm sure if you tried to talk to her-."

"I did," Kimberly cut her off unintentionally. "I mean, I tried to, but she didn't care. She's mad at her dad and I think maybe she's mad at me too, because I tried to stop her from doing all these stupid things…"

Kimberly's line of thought stopped as she noticed Jason appear in the archway of the living room, his wrist raised and his other hand pointing directly to his communicator. Kath's back was facing directly at him, and Kimberly tried her best to not appear suspicious as she suddenly stood up.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go and see what Jase is up to," she said to the older woman, before she swiftly hurried out of the room and up to Jason's bedroom.

"What is it?" she whispered, as she quietly closed the door behind her.

"Looks like we've got trouble," he sighed, as they huddled together and he raised his wrist to their faces. "Come in Zordon, we're here."

"JASON AND KIMBERLY, A DISTURBING SITUATION REQUIRES YOUR ATTENTION IN ANGEL GROVE. BUT BEFORE YOU ATTEND TO IT, I WILL NEED YOU TO TELEPORT TO THE COMMAND CENTER SO I CAN PREPARE YOU BEFORE HAND."

Jason and Kimberly quickly exchanged a nervous glance. "What kind of situation are you talking about?" Jason asked.

"THIS SITUATION INVOLVES TRINI…IT APPEARS THAT RITA HAS SUBJECTED HER TO AN ANCIENT SPELL, WHICH HAS BEEN SLOWLY DISTORTING HER MENTALLY, SPIRITUALLY AND PHYSICALLY…IF WE DO NOT INTERVENE BEFORE DARKNESS THIS EVENING, SHE WILL TRANSFORM INTO A POWERFUL DEMON AND WE WILL BE FORCED TO ENGAGE IN A BATTLE AGAINST HER."

--

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

_**Coming up next-The concluding part to this episode "Out of Control: Part 2":** What will become of Trini, now that Rita's spell has a strong grip on her mind and body? Will the other rangers be able to get through to her, or will they be forced into battle against one of their own? Find out, next…_


	22. Ep21: Out of Control II

**REBIRTH OF THE LEGACY**

By Chanelle Summer

**Out of Control: Part 2- Episode 21**

_A/N – I am really sorry for taking so long to update this story – many of you know already, but I have been going through extensive and endless treatment for Leukemia and it has greatly affected my ability to update like I used to. This story means a lot to me and I have put in countless hours and months work into it and I hope to make it a priority again. I really thank everyone for their patience! Thank you so very much!_

* * *

The unrelenting mist that cascaded from the clouds above had certainly turned heavier by the time the rangers' teleported to the end of Bowen Lane- Not knowing what would possibly greet them up the other end, or how they would possibly deal with it. 

Jason was busy trying to think. They had all met at the Command Center following Zordon's revelations about Trini, and after a good half an hour discussing how best to tackle their twisted teammate, little positive had come from it. Kimberly harped on about how she should have known something was wrong, while Zack voiced his utter bewilderment and Billy drove his nose into one of the center's computers.

But now, as they began down the darkened street, Jason was still thinking. He was trying to come up with a plan to rescue the yellow ranger, and to save her from doing anything that could spiral out of control.

Zordon's words' had been loud and clear- they couldn't teleport her to the Command Center, and there was no other safety net; if they couldn't contain her as soon as possible, she would transform into the demon of 'Prospertine', a revengeful and destructive werewolf with the unquenchable thirst for blood.

They were friends…but now, they were enemies. Or at least, they were enemies with what Trini had become. Out of all of Rita's stints, Jason thought this was by far the cruelest to date. He had to believe they would save her, but everything else the powerful curse had made of her was left strewn behind in an absolute emotional mess.

He sighed and beside him he felt a hand reach up and link with his arm. Jason glanced down at Kimberly, almost taken aback by the look in her eyes. She was scared. It was the same look he'd seen in the past and it was almost unbearable.

"Man, it is freezing out here," Zack suddenly announced from Jason's other side.

Jason had to agree- it was a horrible night, fitting perfectly with the dismal occasion.

Apparently, Kimberly felt the same way. "Yeah, it's a creepy night…I'm sure Rita's making the weather or something…all that's missing is the huge full moon and…" her sentence trailed off.

Jason sighed again, blinking his eyes several times to rid them of the annoying rain drops that were sitting on his face. "Remember, guys, this doesn't mean that Trini's actually going to turn into a werewolf…we need to talk to her. Try to remind her of who she is and how important she is to us."

They all remained quiet and Jason pursed his lips a little, feeling frustrated.

"Okay, so when we get there, maybe we should just lock her in a room or something?" Kimberly suddenly suggested.

Billy cleared his throat a little. "I…don't think that will work somehow, Kim," he told her gently. "By all accounts, this ancient demon is quite powerful…we can't provoke her or make her feel trapped."

Zack shook his head. "This is just crazy crap, guys…" he kicked a stone on the road, his face fallen. "I don't know how Zordon expects us to go into battle against Trini. I mean, she's our friend- one of us."

"Yeah, Zack, but we can't go in there thinking of her as being Trini," Jason promptly spoke up. "That's not Trini…if something goes wrong tonight, then we have no choice but to defend the city." He paused, and waited as his teammates each looked at him. "We can do this guys…we've never failed and we won't this time, either."

He slowed down, and they each followed him as their four sets of eyes rested on the Kwan residence sitting so close in the distance. The windows were all illuminated by yellow light, and shadows bounced in most of them, almost a perfect match to the dull drone of music that leaked from that direction.

Trini wasn't alone. Now Jason remembered why they were dreading the altercation with the yellow ranger since they'd met at the Command Center- she was hosting an out of control party with swarms of teenagers from school.

Just another step in her escalating rebellion.

"I should have changed," Kimberly stated, as though she was talking to herself.

Jason glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "We're not going to enjoy the party," he told her seriously.

She made a face and shook her head quickly. "No, I mean I'm wearing the same clothes I wore to school…when we show up at the front door, she'll take one look at me and realize we're not there as her friends," she sighed. "She knows who we are, and that'll blow our cover for sure."

Jason sighed. "We don't have any time, Kim," he told her, annoyed he hadn't thought of her idea sooner, but knowing they were wasting precious time. "Remember, guys- we've got to do this smart."

He extended his arm and waited while they each piled their hands on his.

"Let's do this," he said in a low and crestfallen voice.

* * *

Billy watched nervously as Kimberly raised her arm and gently knocked on the front door. Her effort was barely loud enough for Billy to hear, let alone anyone from inside the almost vibrating residence, and within a passing moment, Jason followed up her effort with his own. 

"I told Trini they need a new doorbell," Kimberly muttered under her breath.

Billy felt the chill in the wind wash over the bare of his neck, and he quickly wrapped his arms over his chest as the door finally opened.

Kimberly immediately stepped back and collided with Billy as the older boy from the other side draped himself against the door. He seemed to scratch an itch on his shirtless stomach, before his dreary eyes finally leveled on them.

"Ya here for the party?" he slurred as he raised the glass of beer in his free hand.

They all stared back at him speechless, before he stumbled backwards and collided with a small collective of teenage boys.

"Oh. My God," Kimberly stated with wide eyes. "You guys, what the hell is Trini doing?"

Billy hesitantly stepped through the door after the pink ranger, unable to believe his own eyes. He'd been to Trini's house the least amount of times out of all of his friends, but that had only ever been because her parents were often strict and didn't like them making mess. The few times he had visited, he always remembered how perfect Mrs. Kwan kept the house, from the impeccably laid out dinner table, to the way that every room looked barely lived in.

But everything before him now, was in complete contrast. Trash and mess; teenage bodies grinding against each others to hypnotic tunes as some laughed like hyenas at the manner in which their friends were falling over themselves. The lighting was painfully dim, and Billy removed his glasses and gently placed them into his pocket as they slowly walked through the crowded living room.

"Man, this music sucks," Zack muttered, as he moved closer to Billy.

Billy fiddled with his pockets. He knew a little about music, thanks mostly to his mind download from Kimberly, but he really couldn't even concentrate on the awkward lyrics when he was feeling so nervous.

"Can any of you guys see Trini?" Jason asked, as they paused in the archway to the small kitchen.

They all shook their heads, but became distracted as a familiar face approached their tight circle. Kimberly immediately groaned, and cast her desperate eyes in their direction as the boy reached for her arm and offered her a goofy grin.

"I thought you'd be here tonight," Colin Mars announced. He looked over Billy and the others, before glancing back at Kimberly. "Are you here with anyone?"

Kimberly flicked her tongue in her cheek. She was never very discreet at hiding her feelings.

"Have you seen Trini?" she asked, ignoring his questions.

"She's around…Some new guy in town is keeping her away from the party, you know what I mean?"

Kimberly stood motionless, clearly waiting for him to elaborate, before she sighed loudly. "Whatever," she murmured, pushing past him and leading the group through the kitchen.

Billy almost stumbled and awkwardly followed her, stopping suddenly as Kimberly grabbed hold of the closest doorframe and stared blankly though the ajar door. Her eyes, as transparent as always, slanted in confusion as she rocked back on her feet.

"What?" Jason asked her, moving behind her to peer through the crack.

The door suddenly shot open and they all jumped back a little in surprise. Billy immediately glanced around awkwardly as Tommy stared back at them with one of the strangest expressions the blue ranger had ever encountered from the quiet boy.

"Guys," he said in one breath.

"Tommy…" Jason paused, as though he forgot what he was saying. "What are you doing here?"

Tommy pursed his lips. "Trini called and invited me to a party you guys were supposedly having…and when I got here, I found this."

Kimberly moved her face toward his, her voice unusually low. "Tommy, Trini is not herself at the moment…Rita has put a terrible spell on her which is slowly turning her into a monster-."

"Look what the cat dragged in…" Trini's eerier tone suddenly droned from behind Tommy. The teenagers all turned to face the Asian girl and quickly flooded into the usually tranquil lounge room.

Trini narrowed her gaze and flicked her tongue against her teeth. "I don't remember writing phony losers and stuck-up bitches on the invites."

Billy was almost sickened just by the tone of her voice, but before he could look away, he caught the anguish in Kimberly's eyes'.

And it instantly flared to bitterness. "Well, I don't remember your place being the hangout for scum and no-hopers," she spat back, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Kim, don't fight back," Jason warned her in a low voice.

Billy felt relieved that at least one of them was gripping onto their senses, but Trini only cocked herself higher and centered a hateful gaze on Kimberly.

"No, I wanna hear what she has to say," she practically snarled. "Let me guess, Kim- you're jealous because the attention isn't on you for once? Huh? Well, deal with it!"

Kimberly's face fell, and she dejectedly shook her head. "I'm not going to fight with you, Trini. This isn't you-."

The brunette turned and stepped away, but Trini threw her arms forward and shoved her toward the lamp table. Kimberly cried out slightly as the lamp dropped to the ground beside them, leaving them drowned in darkness.

"Don't walk away from me!" Trini raised her voice.

"Whoa!" Zack swiftly intervened, moving in between the two girls.

"Trini," Jason said, "Rita has you under a spell- you have to try and fight it."

Billy shuffled nervously as Trini didn't speak back, a strange, strangled breath sounding from her direction.

A groan.

A growl.

And then, it was pure like illusion- the shadows molded and literally transformed into something large…something not human.

"Oh my Gosh, watch out!" Kimberly screamed in a high-pitch, as the transformed creature leapt toward them.

Billy watched as Jason barreled into the pink ranger, throwing her into Billy, before letting out a holler so agonizing that he almost couldn't believe it came from their leader.

"Jason!" Billy yelled out, as he noticed the cause of the red ranger's pain- a pair of razor sharp teeth buried into his arm.

"Let him go!" Zack snapped, as he summoned up the courage to stand up and race to Jason's side.

But before anyone could do anything, the creature- Trini – the werewolf- disappeared before their very eyes.

* * *

"Jason, are you okay?" Kimberly gasped out loudly, reaching for his arm with her bare hands. Her cold fingers moved over his sweltering skin, feeling his free hand clench at the spot of the wound. 

"I'm fine," he groaned out. "Where did she go?"

"She disappeared," Tommy's voice was quiet compared to Kimberly's breathing, and she suddenly remembered how vital it was that they stayed on task.

The worst thing had happened. Kimberly knew darn well that the thing that dug into Jason's skin was not her best friend.

Was she really a monster, though? Could Rita really do that?

Their communicators all chimed in unison and Kimberly clumsily raised her wrist to Jason's face, knowing he would want to speak to the sage.

"We're here, Zordon," Jason said dully.

"RANGERS, ARE YOU ALL SAFE?"

Zack almost sniggered from behind her, and Kimberly quickly moved her communicator to her own lips. "Zordon, Trini transformed into some kind of monster and bit Jason on the arm," she explained in the calmest tone she could muster. "She's gone…she just disappeared."

"RANGERS, YOU MUST TELEPORT TO THE NIGHTCLUB DISTRICT ON SANMOSA STRIP. TRINI HAS TAKEN THE FORM OF A WEREWOLF AND SHE IS AN EXTREME RISK TO THE CITIZENS IN THAT AREA. YOU CANNOT LET YOUR PERSONAL FEARS AFFECT YOUR DUTY AS RANGERS- IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE TRY ANY MEANS TO SAVE TRINI, BUT WE FIRST AND FOREMOST CANNOT RISK THE LIVES OF INNOCENTS IN THE PROCESS."

"Jason, do you need to teleport to the Command Center for treatment?" Alpha 5 quickly added.

With her eyes now adjusted to the lack of light, Kimberly watched as Jason slid his sleeve up and finally removed his hand from Trini's vicious attack.

"Oh my God, Jason…" she cringed. "That looks awful."

"I'd highly recommend you let Alpha take a look at that, Jason," Billy added. "It's unclear the damage that such a wound could impact on a human body."

Jason shook his head gently. "It can wait," he told them. "Trini's the most important thing right now."

"Zordon, how do we stop Trini without hurting her?" Zack asked, his tone unusually pained. "She's one of us…"

"WHILE THIS SITUATION IS BY ALL ACCOUNTS ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT WE HAVE FACED, YOU MUST USE YOUR INSTINCTS. I BELIEVE THAT YOU ALL KNOW WHAT'S BEST AND IT IS NOT FOR ME TO GIVE YOU ORDERS FOR THIS MISSION."

Kimberly could literally feel her stomach flip-flopping uncontrollably as Jason reached for her arm and they huddled together.

"Tommy, can you make sure that everyone clears out of here?" Jason asked their non-ranger friend.

Tommy nodded. "Good luck guys."

Kimberly couldn't even manage a smile of thanks to him, her nerves too distracting as she barely managed to unclick her morpher.

_Please let her be okay, please let her be okay, _were the words that ran through her mind as she morphed and teleported to meet her best friend. Or more specifically, the being that had literally consumed her alive. Kimberly wasn't certain how she felt about praying- goodness knows, she'd prayed for a lot less and it was split down the line.

Some things she got, others she didn't. As luck would have it, she was having more luck since becoming the pink ranger; in fact, they'd all been lucky to walk away from every battle victorious.

"Holy-."

The harsh, violent scream thundered through the popular strip and Kimberly was certain she felt tears in her eyes at the sight.

* * *

Zack was actually mesmerized by the over sized creature greeting them with a razor sharp scream, blood oozing out of countless wounds to its limbs. From the length of its clipped claws, the edges uneven and blunt, it was clear the patches on its fur were self-inflicted. 

It hollered with insanity and the citizens slow to realize the situation finally scrambled and fled from the nearby restaurants and nightclubs.

It was a scene like any of those countless werewolf flicks. Beneath a canopy of midnight, the cold in the air was almost sticky, as the world seemed to erupt. A nightmare had sprung to life. Things like this just weren't supposed to happen in the 'real' world.

People didn't just turn into monsters.

Zack scrambled awkwardly backward, his hand instinctively reaching for his power ax. The werewolf lunged toward him, plummeting a strong arm toward him, Jason's feeble intervention the only thing saving Zack from his own hesitation.

"Be careful!" Kimberly cried out from nearby.

"I'LL MAKE YOU BEG FOR YOUR LIVES!" The werewolf screamed, saliva ravaging from its snout.

"It's us!" Kimberly continued, lowering her stance. "Don't do this!"

The werewolf twisted sharply and leapt toward her, forcing Kimberly skidding ungracefully to the ground. She shrieked and threw her hands forward, but the monster's quick hand sent her tiny frame crumbling toward a nearby wall.

The impact was sickening.

"Stay away!" Jason finally showed the nerve to fight back, thrusting his sword toward it.

The impressive blade pierced its emaciated shoulder, but the injury didn't seem to pierce its strength. It rolled its head wildly around and pounced toward Billy, who let out a weak cry in response.

"Guys, get it together!" Jason shouted, his voice as angry as his stance. "Stop holding back!"

"Easy for you to say!" Zack countered, as the werewolf swiped as arm toward him. He flung his axe up to shield him, before pushing back against it. "Explain again how we destroy this thing, without destroying-."

"Whoa!" Zack gurgled as the werewolf clasped its bony paw around his neck, ripping his feet from the ground.

He thrustered his foot in its face and it quickly tightened its grip, slamming him helplessly to the concrete below. Despite the protection of his ranger uniform, he felt as though his body literally passed through the rock-solid surface.

"Take this!" Jason fumed, slamming his sword toward the werewolf's arm. The tip slashed across its arm, sending a straight shower of crimson blood only a foot from Zack's aching body.

"YOU WILL DIE!" it screamed as it lowered to all four paws and leapt onto the red ranger.

Zack scrambled to his feet and grabbed it by its shoulder, before receiving another gashing attack from its swiping arm. He almost snapped with frustration, before a sudden arrow caught him by surprise.

The pink ranger lowered her bow from the short distance and seemed to lower her head dismally as the werewolf's back hunched back and it howled out.

"Thanks," Jason croaked in response.

"Whoa!" Kimberly let out as she threw herself into a cartwheel, only just managing to dodge the creature's retaliation.

The werewolf swiftly rebounded toward her and collided with Billy's power lance as he used it to push back.

Zack quickly helped Jason up, before they sprinted over to join their friends.

"We need to regroup!" Jason declared, as Billy and Kimberly continued with their weak attacks.

Zack looked down as the familiar chime of their communicators pierced loudly. It was the only thing that he could hear above the werewolf's constant howling and his teammates' grunts of effort.

"Zordon, we're having some trouble," Jason admitted immediately, as he moved his wrist to his mouth. "But we'll get it under control."

"JASON, PREPARE THE OTHER RANGERS FOR TELEPORTATION TO THE COMMAND CENTER IMMEDIATELY FOR REGROUPING," Zordon ordered.

Jason seemed to hesitate, but swiftly nodded. "We're ready," he stated.

* * *

Jason immediately pried the helmet from his head, gasping the Command Center's chilled air as his friends immediately started up on confusion. 

"What's going on, Zordon?" Kimberly asked dramatically.

"Zordon, without us to hold the werewolf back, we're risking citizens' lives'," Billy added.

"RANGERS, THE ESCALATING BATTLE WAS BECOMING TOO DANGEROUS AND UNDISCIPLINED…WE MUST REGROUP IF WE ARE ABLE TO DO OUR JOBS SUCCESSFULLY TONIGHT."

"She's too strong," Zack shared, gesturing with his gloved hands. "She's not like any of Rita's other monsters- she's like my neighbor's dog on steroids who hasn't been fed for a month."

"How can we stop it, without killing Trini? If we keep trying not to injure it, we're going to get seriously hurt…"

Jason heard Kimberly's words blur in his ear as he turned around and folded his arms over his chest, walking towards the illuminated viewing globe. The frightening creature seemed to be leaping around the deserted alleyway aimlessly, feverishly clawing at its own body and howling in response.

Living off its own pain.

He shook his head to himself. It was clear from the silence behind him that everyone was waiting for him. He was the leader after all- it was his job to speak the words that everyone else was too afraid to breath. The ones they were all in denial about. The truth that could spell the end of one of their own.

Damn it! They were supposed to be fighting to save the world! Why did they have to fight for that one life? Why Trini?

"Billy, didn't you mention that the reason Trini turned into this monster was because Rita put her under a spell?" Kimberly harped up, surprisingly calm.

Jason slowly turned around and watched as Billy prodded at one of the center's control panels'. "A very ancient spell," the blue ranger confirmed. "I'm sure it's one of Rita's own."

"Isn't there a way we can break it?" Zack asked. "I mean, we've all been under spells before…isn't there a drink or something that we can give her?"

Billy sighed and turned around as Alpha 5 flustered in between the group. "I have performed analysis after analysis and I cannot detect a single method to reverse or ease Rita's spell," the robot declared.

"So then why are we acting like there's any good outcome from this battle?" Zack quickly asked, his eyes stormy. "If we don't kill that thing, then we'll all be history and if we do, we'll be murdering our best friend-."

"There has to be another way-."

"I don't have any answers, Kim," Billy unexpectedly cut her off. "That's a monster- we have to stop it."

Kimberly's eyes' welled and she brushed past him, walking past Jason as she stared out toward the center's dark shell. Zack slumped his body against the arched consol and pursed his lips. Emotions were strangling the room.

The slight sound from the viewing globe was the only noise filtering between them, the werewolf's self-inflicted screams still etching in Jason's ears'.

"It's going to end up killing itself," Jason pointed out, swallowing the lump in his throat. "We need to regroup and get back down there."

Zack shook his head, not in disagreement, but more with a bitter-sadness. "You know I'll follow your lead anywhere, bro," he said numbly. "But tell me you've got a plan."

Jason shuffled his weight from one foot, to the other. "I don't know how to save Trini," he admitted bleakly, his eyes distracted by the arrowed gaze belonging to Kimberly.

As if to read her mind, he subconsciously reached for her arm, but she flicked it away with a shaky breath. "You can't tell me you expect me to go back there and kill my best friend," she almost accused, as she ran a frustrated hand over the stray tears now sitting on her cheeks. "This isn't what I signed up for-."

"Don't cry, Kim," Zack spoke up.

She lowered her face in her gloved hand and Jason glanced between his male teammates, before he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and guided her toward the viewing globe.

"I wanna show you something," he said into her ear, as he gently pulled her hand away from her face. "Look at the globe."

She glanced at him in protest, before stubbornly glancing towards the disturbing footage. Her lips rested sadly as they all huddled together in quiet contemplation.

"If you were trying to persuade me, Jase, this isn't the way to do it," she finally said.

"Guys, look at what it's doing," Jason pointed out. "It's clawing at itself- pulling its own fur out and making itself bleed-."

"Eew," Kimberly murmured.

"Why would it be hurting itself?" Zack wondered.

"The demon of Prospertine is an ultimate example of darkness and death. By all accounts, it's self-destructive. We could see that transformation in Trini, by the way she became increasingly self-destructive," Billy stated. "Maybe that's what Rita's plan was- for this demon to self-destruct-."

"Killing Trini along with it," Jason finished the blue ranger's statement.

Kimberly spun around, reaching out to touch them with her hands.

"What do we do?"

"Rangers!" Alpha 5 suddenly burst out, his small feet pounding excitedly on the floor. "I have something important for you!"

"ALPHA, WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND?" Zordon asked, as the rangers rushed to the robot's side.

"Look at this," the robot passed a page to Billy, who moved his face only an inch from the paper.

"What does it say?" Zack coaxed impatiently.

Billy didn't reply at first, but slowly lowered the page. "We now have a plan…"

"An antidote?" Kimberly chirped up hopefully.

Jason shared a hopeful glance with her as Billy replied with contained enthusiasm. "We need to kill it before it kills itself."

* * *

"What?" 

"Here, give me that," Zack quickly reached over Billy's shoulders, prying the printed-paper out of his weak grip.

Billy turned around and avoided Kimberly's anchored gaze while Zack's face squinted at the page.

"Billy, that thing is Trini-."

"Kim, he's right," Zack revealed with a strange look. "It says we have to kill the demon."

Kimberly frowned. "I don't get it," she admitted in a small voice.

Billy fumbled at his glasses. How he damned his ill sight at these moments.

"The demon has taken over Trini's body, but Trini is still inside- physically. Think of it as a cocoon…it's trapped her inside with the intent to destroy itself, along with Trini."

"So, let me get this straight," Jason said, as he carefully took the report from Zack. "If we let this thing kill itself, then it will kill Trini, but if we destroy it, then we'll release Trini?"

Billy nodded, trying ever so valiantly to cover his own doubts. He had them, and it didn't make him comfortable, but having the pressure of guiding his friends in moments like these usually meant he had to step away from his comfort zone. He knew the numbers, facts and equations were his ally, but even calculators ran out of batteries.

He couldn't live with himself if anything happened to Trini.

"How sure are you of this, Billy?" Kimberly asked gently, reaching to touch his arm. "You look like you're not sure."

He smiled tightly. "I'm just nervous," he admitted. "But we can't ignore the facts- this is the only plan that could possibly save Trini and protect us and Angel Grove simultaneously."

"RANGERS," Zordon startled them all. "VIEW THE VIEWING GLOBE, IT APPEARS THE WEREWOLF IS GROWING IN SIZE."

"We'll have to call our zords," Jason explained evenly. "Four against one should get the task done."

"Be careful rangers!" Alpha 5 piped up. "Your zords are on standby and I will monitor their power usage carefully."

Jason acknowledged the robot with a quick nod. "Guys, we need to find a way to lure the werewolf away from the city…Kimberly," he turned and looked at her, "Use the pterodactyl zord to attract it away from Sanmosa and toward Malua Bay."

Kimberly nodded, pulling her helmet tightly on, as they all followed suit.

"Back into Action!"

* * *

Jason clenched his hand around the gage on the zord's panel before him. 

"Kimberly, what's your status?" he asked as he settled his zord a short distance from one of the nearby main arterials out of Angel Grove.

In the distance, he could see the demon of Prospertine standing tall amongst some sparsely built buildings, rolling its head manically about as it screamed out in a ferocious roar.

"Guys, I'm approaching it from the south," Kimberly's voice filtered through the speakers in Jason's cockpit. "I don't know how low I'll be able to come in though."

"Just keep your distance, all you need to do is will it our way," he reported back.

The lights on his panel flickered and he quickly moved his fingers over them, adjusting another panel to the side as he noticed the Mastodon and Triceratops zords steady themselves before his own, oversized zord.

"Kimberly, be careful not to fly in too close," Billy's voice pointed out as they watched the pterodactyl zord fly in from their left.

Jason licked his lips as he observed the agile fighting machine slice past the werewolf, the zord screaming out with pure force as Kimberly expertly cut it immediately to the right again. The werewolf immediately threw its skeletal arm toward the pterodactyl zord, howling out manically as it immediately began chase after it.

"Whoa!" Kimberly let out. "It's coming after me too quick!"

"Guys, let's do it!" Jason signaled the blue and black rangers, as he slammed his cannon charger to full power.

"I'm going in!" Zack let out confidently.

Kimberly let out a hoot and then her shrieking pierced through the communication system. Jason immediately snapped his attention through the windshield of the zord, his eyes widening in horror as he watched Prospertine grasp the tail of the Pterodactyl zord, tugging on it hard enough to stop it mid flight.

"Help!" Kimberly's voice panicked. "I need help here!"

"Kim, hang on!" Jason urged back. "Alpha! The Pterodactyl zord is in trouble!"

"Jason!" Billy's voice cut through the transmission. "I have an idea!"

Jason watched as the Triceratops began rolling over the ground below, before two carefully aimed chains suddenly expelled from its horns, lashing out toward the monster's legs. The chains lashed messily around its bony limbs, but tangled around them enough for the blue ranger's zord to pull at its balance.

"Jason, you should get a good aim at it now," Zack suggested.

The werewolf thrashed wildly, its left hand struggling to keep its grip on the pterodactyl zord as it tried to pull at the chains around its legs.

Jason stood his ground- it was far too dangerous to aim his cannon at Prospertine, when two of his teammates were at such a risk of being caught up in the crossfire.

"Jason, you should aim your cannons at the chest of the target," Alpha 5's voice directed him through the speakers. "Both of your blasters are charged to optimal power."

Jason's hand rested on the firing button.

Kimberly let out another screech. Prospertine was now swinging the pink zord around as though it were a feather in the wind.

"I'm getting dizzy here!" Kimberly practically wailed, the frustration slicking her voice. "For God's sake Jase, do something!"

"Take this!" Zack exclaimed, as a sudden burst of energy released from the tip of the Mastodon's sleek trunk.

The energy instantly ignited around the werewolf's torso, sparks showering in every direction as misplaced cries sounded from both Billy and Kimberly.

"Billy, Kim- are you both okay?" Jason immediately demanded.

"Affirmative," Billy responded sounding rather lackluster.

The werewolf threw its head back and howled, as it grabbed at its forehead and began incessantly clawing at it.

"Jesus!" Jason let out in disbelief. He couldn't believe the creature's determination to harm itself, over its concern at taking them out.

It could have easily taken the Pterodactyl zord out at any moment. It could have damaged Billy's zord just as easily, but it was like it was trying to keep them from getting in the way of its self-destruction.

"Billy, release it carefully and pull back," Jason ordered his teammate. "Kimberly, you need to find a way out of Prospertine's grip- but if you're in danger, you need to abandon your zord, do you hear me?"

She let out another hoot. "I hear you Jason," she said. "I'm working on it now."

"Jason, you need to get in there before that thing kills itself with Trini inside it," Zack pressured him.

Jason steadily moved forward, being careful to allow Billy room to move back. He warily steadied his targeting system, leveling his radar on the center of the werewolf's chest.

"Kim, come on!" he coaxed her with growing urgency.

As he spat out his last, frustrated word, the pterodactyl zord suddenly lit up in spectacular fashion- at first Jason felt himself panic, his insides churning at the thought that Kimberly's zord had been severely damaged, but it wasn't long before he realized it was nothing short of a trick pulled out of thin air.

Prospertine quickly let out a blood-curdling scream, his skeletal fingers flicking the pink zord out of its grip as fire expelled from its wings, the heat so intense that even the Tyrannosaurus's sensors began screeching as they detected the unusually extreme temperature.

"Good work, Kim!" Zack enthused. "You'll have to show me how to do that trick some time!"

Jason took a deep breath. He prayed to God that Billy, that Alpha 5, that everyone had it right.

"Initiating side canons, now!" Jason announced, as he flicked the blinking switch and braced himself for the pressure that would be quickly expelled from his zord's large blasters.

The large rays exploded in all glory, the shower of large bullets slamming on target. The werewolf howled and stumbled backward, arms thrashing about as it desperately tried to hang onto its balance. And as if in slow motion, its bony body suddenly fell forward, its arms catching its weight as it slammed to the ground on all fours.

"Billy!" Zack and Kimberly's voices choked up the communication system, as they all noticed the blue zord beneath the torso of the monster.

"Billy, come in!" Jason shouted. "Are you alright?"

"Affirmative," Billy's voice sounded unclear. "But I'm in a very compromising position."

"I'm flying in!" Kimberly announced, as the pterodactyl zord screamed out and a ray of magenta energy beamed down on the werewolf's back. It lashed out angrily, before pouncing toward Jason and he immediately moved to knock it back again with a swing of the tyrannosaurus's thick tail.

"Crap!" Zack's voice exclaimed. "Billy my man, get out while you still can!"

"I'm going after it," Billy's voice announced.

Jason swung his zord around quickly, but almost groaned with aggravation as his bulky zord struggled to move quickly enough. The werewolf pushed it back and Jason strained as his fingers moved madly over the control pad, doing everything in his effort to stop the zord from crashing to the ground.

"Jason, be careful!" Kimberly pleaded.

"Man I wish we had the Megazord now!" Zack's voice fumed.

Jason sighed in relief as he found the Tyrannosaurus zord steady and he gazed out at the sight of evil before him. Its eyes were crazed, manic- it wanted to destroy them, but couldn't because of its own desire to kill itself.

"Guys, I have an idea," Jason moved his head to speak directly into the microphone that rested near his enclosed head. "We need to attack the monster as a group- remember the attacks Zordon went through with us in training last week?"

"I can't remember how to do them!" Kimberly's voice was frantic.

"Kim, you don't need to remember how to do them," Jason reassured her calmly. "Alpha, come in. Can you send through instructions to the cockpits on each of the zords' most damaging attacks?"

"Can do, Jason!" Alpha 5's voice confirmed. "But I must warn you that Kimberly and Billy's zords' are both damaged and are indicating a steady decrease in power stores!"

Jason sighed. "We don't have a choice," he decided. "Send the instructions through now."

Jason watched as the control panel lit up before him in a dazzling display, each of the illuminated buttons blinking in a clear pattern for him to initiate them in.

"Are you guys ready?" Jason asked, as he moved the power gage of his zord to full strength.

"Let's get this over with!" Zack agreed.

"My power gage is only at half strength, but I'm ready," Kimberly replied.

"Systems all ready to go!" Billy confirmed.

Jason immediately moved his gloved fingers over the control panel, a loud rumble sounding from beneath his cockpit. From his view some distance from the ground, he could see the other three zords each illuminating, cannons and blaster guns moving into position in unison.

Jason flung his arms up as the cockpit shook severely and the windscreen's view was completely taken away as thick cloud and smoke pounded its broad surface. As the dust cleared, everything quickly came into full view- the fire expelling from Kimberly's zord had literally ignited the sickly skin of Prospertine's back; the Mastodon zord continued to pelt a literal ice storm from its trunk, showering the werewolf's right limbs with the immobilizing substance; while Billy's zord had expelled one of its sharp horns into the monster's torso, cobalt electricity lighting up the dagger and sending waves of shock through its trembling body.

It howled out. It screamed, roared and hollered, until it literally combusted into itself and disappeared into thin air.

"Holy-."

"Guys, where the hell is Trini?" Kimberly questioned.

"Alpha!" Jason stammered. "Where is Trini?"

"She's safe, rangers!" Alpha 5 responded in clear delight. "You need to teleport to her now."

* * *

The world had fallen into a reflective silence, it seemed, as the moonlight above danced brilliantly and Kimberly stepped forward. She paused briefly as her best friend finally turned around to face them all, her inner heartbreak bleeding from her remorseful eyes. 

Kimberly glanced at her male teammates, before Trini moved suddenly and crossed her arms over her chest, squeezing tears from her lowered eyelids. She glanced back up, lower chin shaking and finally found the courage to speak.

"What am I going to do?" she whimpered. "I've disgraced myself and my family…" she looked down again, wiping a stray tear from her chin. "I'm so sorry for everything I did and I said-."

"Trini-."

"My father will never speak to me again," she sobbed out, as she crouched to the ground and lowered her face to her lap.

Kimberly could feel herself begin to choke up, and swiftly moved to her friend's aid. She slowly coaxed the yellow ranger to standing, before she gently wrapped her arms around her, digging her face into her hair as she continued to cry on her shoulder.

Her body was heaving heavily at that moment. Kimberly wished she could take her friend's pain away, feeling scared and helpless at such a sight, such a feeling. Trini never cried- She had this amazing self-control that had always put the pink ranger to shame. It was the same tranquil grace that had always soothed Kimberly's opposing emotional exposure.

"Shhh," Kimberly whispered in her ear, rubbing Trini's back as they continued the embrace. "You don't need to be afraid."

Kimberly closed her eyes briefly, but reopened them quickly as she soon felt additional arms around her. She smiled and giggled softly as she felt her male friends engulf them in a group hug.

Trini sniffled from the center. "You guys…"

"How stupid do you think we look here?" Jason wondered as the embrace continued.

They finally pulled apart and Kimberly watched Trini blink obviously, the mist settling on her already glossy skin. "I am too afraid to go inside." she glanced up. "I can't ever go back in there."

Kimberly didn't know what to say. As much as her first instinct was to tell the yellow ranger that "everything would be okay", the truth was that their lives may have been mystical, but they weren't the stuff of fairytales. The horrific meltdown replayed in Kimberly's mind even now- the horror in Mr. Kwan's voice, the trail of revulsion that Trini had trailed around the city.

Kimberly didn't even have to think twice about forgiving Trini. But how were they to explain her betrayal to the dark side to those outside their circle of trust?

"Trini, where are your parents tonight?" Jason asked calmly.

Trini moved her hand to her forehead in thought for a moment, before she glanced at her leader. "They went to a presentation my sister was delivering at Angel Grove University…" she seemed to gulp. "We had got into a big argument because I refused to go."

Zack's eyes' widened a little. "When are they supposed to get back home?"

"After ten…I can't be sure…"

"Well, that gives us over an hour to get your house back to normal," Zack explained.

Kimberly grinned, hoping Zack's enthusiasm would at least momentarily lift Trini's deflated spirit. "That's a great idea, Zack!" she enthused.

Trini's lips twisted a little. "Maybe you should just go home. This is my mess to clean up-."

They all flicked their heads toward the Kwan residence as a loud clinkering sounded from inside. Jason led the group towards the house and then filed through the front door so expectedly, that Kimberly literally stopped as soon as she was inside the entrance.

Zack shook his head. "Wow...I gotta get me one of those," he exclaimed.

Kimberly frowned, as she slowly started walking again after him. "One of what?" she asked him, still distracted by the lack of chaos that had previously greeted them only an hour earlier.

"One of whatever could clean up like that...just imagine the miracle it could perform on my bedroom.."

Kimberly smiled, but her eyes swiftly changed as she stopped at the archway to the family room.

"What are you guys doing?" she asked with surprise, as she watched Tommy and Richie simultaneously tie up two over-filled rubbish bags.

Kimberly looked away as she felt the others come up behind her, before Richie replied evenly.

"Thanks for the invite, Trini, but I guess I missed the party," he stated casually, as he carefully lowered the bag to his feet.

Kimberly could literally feel the heat from Trini's bare arms amd the reluctance and inability to speak up in her shallow breathing.

"Wow, it was totally great of you guys to clean up," Kimberly piped up, gesturing with her hand and slapping it back against her thigh.

"It's cool, Tommy told me things didn't go to plan...I figured you could do with some help getting this place cleaned up," the leather clad teen replied.

"It's all done now," Tommy finally spoke up, "There's a few dishes in the sink..."

"You would never suspect a party took place here," Billy agreed with genuine admiration.

Kimberly approached Tommy and extended a hand, taking one of the bags of trash off him. Her heart was racing. She couldn't believe how lucky they were at that moment to have Tommy Oliver as their confidant. Considering all the chaos that had been caused when he had learnt of their identities, it seemed not a speck of it mattered anymore.

He had quite literally saved their butts again. She wanted to throw her arms around him for it.

"Everything went okay?" he guessed in a hushed voice, as he leaned inconspicuously toward her.

Kimberly nodded and quickly glanced over at the yellow ranger, lost in her own world and standing frozen in the far corner of the room.

"I've never been so scared in my life," Kimberly whispered back. "We nearly lost tonight."

* * *

"My Queen? My-." 

Rita closed the heavy door to her chamber and kept her weight against it, her head screaming almost as much as her legs. She had never really taken much notice to how many cases of stairs weaved their way through the moon base, but now that she had taken them all on in a matter of a single burst of disbelief, she was cursing the wretched palace almost as much as herself.

And Zordon. His rangers...Goldar...Zedd...

"My Queen?"

"Shut up!" she snapped bluntly, hearing Finster's soft pitter-patters outside her room come to an awkward stop.

She squeezed her eyes, angrily gnawing at her cheeks with her hand, as she smothered her tears into her flushed skin. These were not tears of sadness, oh no. This was nothing short of an uncontainable madness, the final straw in her quest for what she'd always wanted.

At that moment she had watched Zordon's teenage heroes stab the final blade into her coffin, her had literally clenched her teeth so suddenly that her teeth had torn through her bottom lip. The blood still slicked her tongue now. It was most likely a taste of things to come.

She spat against the door, before she reluctantly opened it up and rested her empty gaze on her loyal servant.

"My Queen-."

"What is it?" she practically growled in a whisper. "I suppose Zedd has spared not a single moment in rubbing our faces in this defeat?"

Finster bowed his head slightly, but Rita was certain it more in an effort to avoid looking at her then for any other reason.

"Lord Zedd has left Sector eight in Serpentera...I believe he is coming for us here, my Queen."

Rita released a sharp breath, unable to hide the dirty expression on her face. "He can do what he pleases," she stated, reaching down to lift the hem of her dress slightly. "I want security posted at all entrances of the base...you are to tell them they are ordered to defend this palace from anyone that tries entering it-."

"But, Rita, Lord Zedd-."

"Will no longer stand unopposed," Rita cut him off angrily. "Do you think we should stand around here and let that greedy bastard kill us for his own ego? Forget monsters and demons, I want a bottle of Elasiter poison prepared to wipe out planet Earth, while I begin plans for a counter attack against Zedd, immediately."

"But-but-."

"Argh! Just do it!"

Finster hopped nervously about his feet and clumsily stumbled backwards, before he turned and stumbled down the stairs.

For a brief moment, Zordon of Eltar was no longer the man in Rita's sights.

* * *

The bristles ran knowingly through Trini's hair, but suddenly stopped short, causing Trini to flinch slightly. 

She let out a muffled gasp and Kimberly instantly dropped over her shoulder. "I'm sorry," she quickly apologized.

Trini shook her head as if to tell her it was fine, before gently reaching with her hand to take the brush from her friend's hand. She lowered it to her lap and simply stared at the girl in the mirror.

The new Trini Kwan.

After all the boys had cleared from her home, leaving the girls alone, Trini had barely managed to drag herself to the shower. She wanted to clean herself, scrub the feeling of dirtiness that literally clung to her skin, but no matter how hot the water burnt, it didn't make much of a difference.

But she looked presentable. She had swiftly binned her hideous punk outfit for her normal ensemble of matching slacks and shirt, and Kimberly had been flawless in helping her remove the stubborn eyeliner and lipstick from her face. With the mask of self-destruction finally removed, she was back to looking the role of the perfect Asian daughter.

Still- everything inside her just screamed.

She could see Kimberly sit down on her bed behind her, brown eyes staring almost lost at her back as if waiting for Trini to tell her that everything was perfectly fine.

"Trini-."

"It's okay, Kim," Trini quickly turned around on the stool to her vanity table. "My hair is fine-."

"I'm not worried about your hair, Trin," Kimberly cut her off unexpectedly, as she stood up and crouched in front of her. "I'm worried about you...aren't you worried about what you dad is going to say when he gets home?"

_Worried? I'm terrified..._

Trini bit her lip, her eyes welling once more as Kimberly gently placed her hands on her knees. "I feel so lost. You don't know how much I wish none of this would have happened, but part of me knows that no matter what, my father will never be happy with who I am."

Kimberly's eyes' darkened, her eyebrows slanting. "That's not true, Trini!" she protested softly. "You're dad worries about you so much because he cares...I know he's strict and drives you nuts, but he doesn't hate who you are."

Trini leaned back against the table. "But you don't know how lucky you guys have it...I would do anything to have parents like Jason or Zack- to have a freedom to be with my friends, to not always get such a hard time for everything...look at Mrs Scott- she let you get your ears pierced a second time without you even kicking a fuss."

Kimberly's face softened as Trini continued. "It's not about the ear piercing, or being around boys," she elaborated. "I want my dad to believe in me enough to trust that I know what I'm doing."

"But Trini, you're a power ranger now- that's something that's just for you, your decision and he can't take that away from you," Kimberly pointed out. "And to make you feel better, Kath and Ian aren't always so easy on Jase and I- we've both been grounded or punished almost weekly lately and it sucks, but I still know they care about me-."

The two girls stopped as Trini's head quickly snapped to the left and her bedroom door gently opened. She felt herself almost stumble to standing, moving to a stance of attention as though every limb of her body was being controlled from the outside.

"Trini?"

Trini couldn't manage to meet her sister's gaze, before Kimberly broke the standoff.

"I better get going," the pink ranger announced awkwardly. "I'll see you tomorrow, Trini."

Trini didn't want her to leave, but didn't stop her, instead offering a weak farewell before she was left to her own devices.

"You've changed," Lin noted, as she closed the door behind her and sat on Trini's bed. "Your hair looks really nice."

Trini gulped. "Where are mom and dad?" she asked quietly.

"They're in the kitchen…dad was not impressed when the cafeteria at the university tonight didn't have any tea…Trini; are you upset at me because I came back home?"

No…not really 

"Because I'm sorry I've caused so much anger between you and dad. You've never mentioned anything in your letters or phone calls-."

"It's not you, Lin," Trini assured her. "I don't know what came over me…dad has always been kind to me, but he is so strict on me to the point where it's ruining my life- I had to prove to him that I am me- I'm my own person."

"He's scared about this world that's around us now," Lin said. "All the terrible things that happen in Angel Grove every week now- we heard on the radio driving home that some terrible werewolf creature was stopped by the power rangers near Sanmosa strip tonight…it is all so frightening…"

"Nothing is going to happen to me Lin."

"How do you know that? I know how much time you've dedicated to your martial arts, but you can't believe that that is enough. Do you know just how many people have died in all of these attacks?"

_Oh no…please don't tell me a figure…_

"A lot."

"Over three hundred…just regular people, people that we probably know."

Trini turned around, unable to look her sister in the face. "I'm scared, Lin…" she looked up. "I'm scared that I've ruined everything."

Lin rushed to throw her arms around her and Trini hugged her tightly, before she slowly pulled away. Lin kissed her on the cheek, before carefully brushing Trini's bangs behind her ears.

"Trini, something happened tonight that I haven't said, something that I need you to know about…"

Trini blinked, her tears all but disappearing as she noticed the look in her sister's eyes.

"Did something go wrong with your speech?"

Lin shook her head. "I didn't do my speech…we didn't go to the university."

Trini frowned. "I don't understand."

Lin sighed. "I didn't come back to Angel Grove to do a presentation at the university…I-I didn't sit for my exams and I didn't get those stunning results that father has been boasting about. I'm not even a student in Providence anymore, I withdrew myself from campus last semester-."

By this moment, Trini's face was pure horror, her lips in an 'o' shape, but no voice sounding from her throat.

"Oh, Trini, something amazing happened!"

"You left college without telling dad?" Trini stammered.

"It was what I wanted to do, Trin- everything there was so competitive and spiteful. You can't imagine the extent that the other students would go to, to be the top in our class. I longed for that challenge, but not to sacrifice my happiness for everyone else. I am so frightened, but yet so very happy."

Trini blinked, realizing what her sister was saying, but at the same time disbelieving it. Their father must have been absolutely livid when he found out- Trini was nothing short of terrified at the thought of his explosive outburst.

"What are you going to do?" Trini asked so quietly, sound barely escaped her lips.

Link looked down for a moment and shrugged a little. "I want to go back to school in the new semester…I still am passionate about medicine, but I want to try and study to be a nurse. I'm not sure where I will apply-."

"Stay here, in Angel Grove!" Trini let out, her eyes widening. "You can stay here, with us, and we can be a family."

Lin pursed her lips. "I don't think that's going to happen, Trin- I think I'm going to go back to Providence and work things out-."

"But, Lin-."

Trini sighed as Lin walked out of her bedroom and Trini quickly followed, completely forgetting about her own problems which had contained her to her bedroom in fear. She watched as Lin stopped by the front door, her overnight bags sitting carefully up beside the entrance.

"Lin, you can't just leave!" Trini cried.

Lin picked up the handles of her bags and sighed, turning to look at her sister. "You were always the good daughter, Trin, remember that…" she said in a quiet voice, before she walked out the door.

Trini swallowed, her eyes not leaving the spot where she had last seen her. Everything inside her just hurt- she felt like she had lost her shield, lost a common voice, but at the same time she'd never felt freer.

"Trini?"

Trini bit her lip and slowly turned, settling her gaze on the two figures standing at the end of the hallway. Her mother looked sad; her father looked sadder. She knew it was time to take her punishment, but at the same time she wasn't going to back down. She had to keep her chin up and stay strong, just as her sister did.

She had to refuse to be any different than what she was inside, just as Zordon had taught her.

"Trini, I think we need to sit down and discuss what has happened with you this week," her father's voice was weaker than normal. "I was not aware what affect your sister's misadventures would have on you."

Trini shook her head. "Father, I am very sorry for what I did and everything that I said to you, to mother-." She gulped. "But Lin was not the cause of those things. She was the reason why I am standing here now and admitting to you that what I did was wrong- but that nothing is more important in this world than having your family supporting you."

Trini could hear her mother sobbing beneath her calm exterior, just as she'd always done. It pained her too much, that she quickly approached her, taking the older woman in her arms. She could feel her mother's resistance; the way she subtly molded against Trini's body, yet refused to hug her back.

And as Trini whispered her love for her mother in Chinese, her father turned around and walked away, the damage too dear for such short time to heal.

---

**_Coming up Next in Episode 23 "Day of Reckoning: Part 1"_**: _The world is pulled into an epidemic when an unknown virus is injected into the rangers and spread throughout the population. Zedd decides to destroy Rita and takes over her moon base as Billy tries to save the world from plummeting into eternal rest._


	23. Ep22: Day of Reckoning I

**REBIRTH OF THE LEGACY**

By Chanelle Summer

**Day of Reckoning: Part 1 - Episode 22**

* * *

Zedd straightened himself up within his makeshift throne, his hand reaching up towards his skull as if to flick a switch. He needed to concentrate on the task ahead, which only meant taking in what was in front of him and deciding what thing to demolish first. 

He had tired of Rita. Well, to be honest, he had tired of her by the second day of knowing her, but now he simply hated her. After her inability to get the most important of tasks completed; after being unable to dispose of a bag of weak children, it was his time to move up gears.

And he wouldn't even blink.

His plan swirled through his mind, as a slender hand came from behind him and ran over his shoulder. The seducing caress sent a slight tingle through his otherwise numb body, and was at least enough to dispel his slight displeasure at being interrupted at that very moment.

"You are wound up so tight," the female voice purred into the back of his cranium.

Zedd sniggered slightly, quite enjoying her lustrous tone. "There will be no time for that, today," he replied, not turning his head to gaze at her. "We are only a short distance from our destination."

He felt her hands move away from him and he turned his face to watch as she stepped beside him. Her eyes gazed towards the vast windscreen of the craft, a wicked smile turning up the corners of her lips.

"You've deserved this day for so long," she stated. "I can hardly wait."

Again, he chuckled slightly at the ferocity- the desire- in her voice. "You know what to do," he told her. "I will deal with Rita. You are to secure the remainder of the base, and should any of those bumbling fools oppose my advance, you are to dispose of them…"

"What should we do once the moon is under our control?" she asked him, her hand dropping to sit on his shoulder.

"I'm sure some decorating will be on the cards," he commented. "I need to see first hand Zordon's ridiculous power rangers for myself. The way in which Goldar has described them to me, he's making them sound like some kind of gods! I will decidedly crush them, and perhaps even choose one of them to be my new apprentice."

"But master, how could we possibly trust one of them to join our stance?" she wondered out loud.

Zedd surprised himself as he sat unmoved by her uncertainty, such questioning of his plans usually raising a thunderstorm of rage from him. "Trust me Scorpina, once exposed for long enough, they will be unable to return," he explained. "And it shall give me plenty of time to develop the other coins, also."

She lowered herself so her arm was wrapped firmly around his wide shoulders and they gazed down at the gold coin that rested on his lap.

* * *

**The Scott Residence**

**Saturday 30th April 1994**

Meanwhile, down at Angel Grove, Kimberly found herself singing to the radio as she ran a brush through her hair. She always loved when a favorite song of hers came on the airways, and that morning she'd heard at least five that she loved. It made her feel happy and she knew it could only mean that it was going to be a great day.

She ran a light coat of mascara on her upper lashes once she was finally pleased with her hair. At least she had learnt to like her shorter style and everyone around her commented that it made her look more mature. She couldn't argue with such a compliment.

She moaned slightly as she heard the doorbell ring, and slowly trudged towards the hallway to the door. Figuring that it was Jason and that he'd left his key at home that morning, she swung open the door so expectedly that she almost fell over when it was someone else very different standing there instead.

_Oh my Gosh! What's he doing here? I didn't even know he knew where I lived-._

"Hi," Tommy greeted quietly, as he ran a quick hand over his brown locks. "Uh, Kimberly…Sorry, do I have the wrong house?"

She frowned slightly, unsure of what he meant.

"Jason gave me this address for his house…"

_Oh…so he's here to see Jason…like duh, there's no reason he'd be here to see me…_

"Uh, yeah, you have the right address," she finally stated, offering his a soft smile to conceal her disappointment.

He nodded slightly, and she narrowed her gaze as the look of confusion remained strained on his face. "Cool…you staying over or something?" he asked her.

Her smile widened as she realized the reason for his confusion and she began to giggle, only containing herself when she noticed how embarrassed he looked. "I live here, too," she finally explained, as the smile returned to her face.

"Really?" He sounded surprised.

"Yeah," she repeated. "Last time I checked I did, anyway…so listen, Jason's not home right now…"

"Oh…okay…"

"But he'll be back from practice in like five minutes, if you wanna wait?"

_Please say yes!_

Again, he seemed to fidget with cord to his hooded top. "Sure," he agreed.

Kimberly opened the door further to let him in, trying her best to hide the pure happiness his simple reply gave her.

* * *

Rita stood tall above the balcony railing of her moon palace, her cold gaze resting randomly in the vastness before her. Earth, the humanoid mass that had caused her so much agony and frustration over the past few months still rested as though nothing could spoil its grand circumference. 

From the angle of her tall base, she felt as though she could touch Earth's aquamarine and brown shell; as though she could wrap her hands around it and crush it between all the hatred that boiled within her.

But still, she cared little about Earth, or the fact that today should be like any other. She had so many options; she could send down some putties, or maybe a monster or two. No! Those tactics were nothing but a waste of time.

Besides, she couldn't give two hoots about the power rangers. She would deal with them in her own way, but first she had matters much closer to home to concern her time with. A part of her wondered what Lord Zedd had in store for her. Would the cruel bastard really dare put a hand on her? After everything she sacrificed and all the hundreds of years she'd stood proudly by his side whilst they crushed entire galaxies together.

Could she kill Zedd? Definitely. She was second-in-command as it was, and with him out of the way, she would finally be Queen! The guilty consideration was almost too intoxicating to consider…

"Empress! Goldar has just killed two of the guards down near the west side of the base and is eating them!"

Rita scowled as Finster's words invaded her private thoughts from behind and she tightened her grip around the guardrail. How in hell was she supposed to kill Zedd with the pack of morons she had doing her work for her?

She spun around, grabbing her elaborate staff that rested against the balcony's rail. "Argh! Tell that selfish baboon that he will have more than enough time to feed that hideous monkey-breath mouth of his when he has done his job!" she spat. "We can't afford to lose any more guards!"

"Why of course my Queen," Finster nodded in agreement. "Those were my thoughts, exactly."

Rita's face untwisted slightly as she considered the alien scientist for a brief moment. "What are you doing up here, anyway? I thought I told you to get that potion completed and that I wanted some time to myself?"

Finster nodded his head very quickly. "The potion is complete and is ready to be administered to the rangers. But I'm afraid my disruption of your time is due to another, perhaps more immediate problem to you."

"Let me guess?" she lashed out with pure venom. "Lord Zedd is still insisting with his charade to take down this palace?" she demanded, sarcasm dripping off the very mention of the emperor's name.

"Serpentera is fast approaching this base, and if my sensors are correct, he will reach the boundary of the palace within the next hour-."

Rita slammed the bottom of her staff against the ground. "What are you talking about you stupid fool?" she snapped. "I can't see that ridiculous flying dragon anywhere!"

Her insults seemed to roll off Finster's back nowadays as though she were lavishing him with compliments instead. "I'm afraid he's approaching from behind, my Queen. I can only calculate that after such an extended travel time that Serpentera will be low on energy stores. It is doubtful that he could successfully launch a fire attack-."

"I don't care what he plans to do!" Rita cut him off, flicking her hand in a dismissive gesture. "I want you to work out how to infect those power brats with the potion- if I can't be the one to destroy them by force, I want the potion to rob them of their ability to fight against Zedd- that smug good-for-nothing will not be given the pleasure to take them out himself!"

Finster blinked. "Of course, Rita, I will arrange for that now." He paused, before slowly approaching her, Rita scowling lowly as if warning him not to come too close. "May I have permission to ask you something, Empress?"

Rita sighed. "What is it?" she drawled out, tapping her foot impatiently again the step beneath her.

"Do you…still love Lord Zedd, my queen?"

Rita felt her face freeze, a glaze of numbness immobilizing her usually contorted features.

She just stared at him. Her stare said it all.

Love bred the greatest of hates, just as pain made one scream for release.

Finster gulped, lowering his head. "I will arrange the potion for you now," he stated quietly, before turning and exiting the room.

* * *

"So, how are you liking it here?" 

Tommy finally gained the courage to move his gaze from the television to look at Kimberly as she spoke up. As his dark eyes rested on her as she sat cross legged on the couch, he remembered the reason why he had been trying not to look her way since he arrived there ten minutes earlier.

She was so pretty, but it wasn't the fact that he liked her or wanted to date her. It was her big smile, the way her squeaky voice beckoned him to open up in ways he didn't normally do. She was patient, seemingly non-flustered by his natural awkwardness around strangers, and as he sat their speechless, he was particularly glad for her qualities.

Especially, the patient one.

Again, she broke into a grin. "You okay?" she asked him, bringing him out of his trance. "Is Angel Grove really that bad?" she joked.

He shook his head quickly. "No," he responded almost too swiftly. "No, it's cool here. I like it, the places you have here are so much better then what I had in Los Angeles."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," she nodded her head. "It's just so cool how we can go wherever we want here, and not have to think about it…" she stopped and her face twisted into one of deep thought. "Except for the whole space aliens part," she murmured.

Her eyes met his and he managed a slight chuckle at her comment.

"So, when are you gonna join the Saturday karate class? You know that it's probably more your level," she stated. "Which is the reason why yours truly isn't in that class."

He offered her a small smile to ease her doubt. "How can you say that you're no good?" he asked her. "Seriously, I mean you're a power ranger and all."

She shrugged a little. "I'm getting better. I mean, Jason's even had me out the back practicing, but I'm still way off him, Trini and Zack."

"So, uh, can I ask you something?" he finally asked her. She nodded, seemingly pleased that he was asking her something for once. "I realize that Jason's not your brother; So, why are you living here?"

She rested her head against the top of the comfortable couch and relaxed her chocolate gaze his way. "When my parents died, my uncle took full custody of me, which is when I moved to LA. But, I didn't like it there. I hated the fact that my life had to change so much…" she paused and the look of deep thought fleeted over her face. She sighed slightly. "He made an agreement with the Scott's that I could board with them, that way I could live in Angel Grove…So, I've been staying here now for like two and a half years."

"Hey, I'm really sorry, I mean the way I acted at the door…"

She smiled, as always dismissing his worry with her warmth. "It's cool, you didn't know…"

Tommy glanced up as he heard a noise, and moved his head to watch as Jason suddenly appeared in the main archway to the living room.

"Oh hey, Tommy," he greeted. "Sorry I'm late. Class went longer than expected."

"That's okay," Tommy told him.

"So, Jason, Tommy says that you guys are going into the city today," Kimberly mentioned innocently, as she turned her entire body on the couch so she was looking at him.

Jason seemed busy in the fridge, but he turned around at her comment. "I don't think you'll wanna come, Kim. The city has lots of these things called 'shops' and I don't think you'll like them much," he told her, grinning at his own joke.

"Ha-ha," she drawled.

"Bus leaves in twenty," he stated. "I'm just gonna shower quickly and get changed."

Kimberly smiled with satisfaction and turned around as Tommy once again found himself watching the television. Footage came onto the screen of the power rangers in action and as always, Tommy found himself watching with much interest. He'd only known that his newest friends were the masked heroes for such a short time and the concept still blew his mind whenever he thought about it.

Kimberly seemed amused by the footage. "Oh my gosh, why do they always show that part where I get thrown on my butt by Goldar?"

Tommy laughed slightly. "It must be weird seeing yourselves on the TV everyday," he commented, but before she could answer him, he had turned his head in time to see someone enter the room.

Kimberly followed his gaze and scrunched her face up slightly as Jason slowly approached them. "That was a quick shower," Kimberly stated.

Tommy could see that he had changed, forgoing his usual attire of a muscle shirt and sweatpants for jeans and a black t-shirt. Jason remained silent and sat beside Kimberly, his eyes focused on the screen as though he was transfixed by what he saw. Tommy returned his own attention to the screen and silence drifted between the three friends as they retreated to their own private thoughts.

Tommy blinked as he heard a voice from the other end of the house and noticed that Kimberly had turned to look at Jason with much confusion. "Okay…" she murmured. "I must be going crazy. I swear I just heard your voice coming from the other side of the house."

_Why is Jason suddenly acting so weird?_

Tommy's chain of thought was cut short as a familiar person entered the archway, rambling away in mid sentence. The boy stood stunned and Tommy found his head swirling as he tried to understand how there were two Jasons suddenly in the room with them.

* * *

Jason blinked as he walked around the corner and into the living room. He instantly recognized that there were three people sitting in front of the television, but he wasn't sure whom the person was sitting beside Kimberly. 

As he had finished his shower, he'd called down to the room to ask Kimberly to call Billy and Zack to see if they wanted to hang out with them that day, and he found his sentence cut short as he noticed the look of horror on Tommy's face as he entered the room.

Jason quickly moved forward, stopping suddenly as he found himself looking at 'himself'. 'He' was sitting on the couch beside Kimberly and it was clear that the pink ranger hadn't picked up on what was quickly unfolding before them.

She finally looked up, her head moving between the two Jasons, as the color drained from her face and Tommy murmured something that sounded like "What the…"

Jason felt his own face draining with panic. "Kim. Move," he stated in a low voice.

She quickly looked between him and his clone, her eyes widening further. "Whoa! Okay! Like how am I seeing two of you?" she suddenly burst out, her right hand clenched around the armrest of the sofa as she stared at him in disbelief.

"Move!" Jason snapped at her again.

His clone suddenly illuminated into a ball of light, before it morphed into a familiar gray warrior right before their eyes. Kimberly yelped as the putty practically leapt across her lap, its arms extended as it flew towards Tommy.

Jason instantly sprinted for them. He was relieved as Tommy used his quick reflexes to knock the putty back with a rocketing kick to its chest. The creature crashed backwards and Kimberly leapt on top of it. Jason reached her in time as she sent a forceful fist to its chest and he leaned over and kicked it.

But it disappeared.

Jason instantly spun around and eyed Tommy with concern. "You okay?" he asked him, as he helped his friend back up into one of the recliners.

Tommy nodded, but grimaced as he touched his arm gingerly. Jason frowned, his gaze narrowing as he noticed that his friend was bleeding. The wound on his arm was only the size of a pinhead, but it was enough to cause a trickle of red crimson to travel down his exposed arm.

"Oh my gosh, you're hurt, Tommy!" Kimberly spoke up, her eyes widening in distress as she noticed the wound also.

Tommy shook his head. "I'm okay," he told them. "But look: it got you guys also," he added.

Jason frowned and looked at his arm, only then noticing that he too, was wounded in the same fashion. He quickly moved his gaze to Kimberly; a small cut on her lower leg enough to confirm Tommy's observation.

"That was really weird," Kimberly murmured slowly. "How did we get hurt?"

"I think we should go to the Command Center and see if Zordon knows what's going on," Jason stated, before he looked at his male friend. "You should come with us, Tommy and get that wound checked out."

Jason held onto Tommy as the three teens quickly teleported to the ranger headquarters.

* * *

Rita watched the scene below from her balcony, her face flickering between expressions of sick pleasure and slanted confusion. 

"Finster!" she yelled, spinning around quickly and almost tripping as she realized her servant was standing right behind her. "For Hell's sake, Finster- stop standing behind me like that!" she snapped.

He only cowered a little. "You summoned me?" he reminded her.

"Why are only two of the ranger brats and that stupid karate kid affected by the potion?" she demanded. "And why are they still standing, I thought that potion is supposed to immobilize a human being?"

"It is, my Empress. The virus is highly contagious and I have no doubt in my mind that Jason and Kimberly will quickly pass on the virus to their teammates within a short period of time. The virus is usually instantaneous in its affect, however I can only assume that Zordon's powers have regenerative abilities that will initially block the virus. They are the carriers of it – those that become affected by them should experience slumber within moments."

"I should hope so," Rita huffed, although her tone had settled now that Finster appeared to know what he was talking about. "Those stupid teenagers may think they're invincible but we'll see just how smug they are when they're sleeping away in Zordon's precious command center!" she squealed, breaking out into a cackle of ecstasy.

Her laughter was cut short, though, as she heard a muffled noise in the distance, its lingering tremble enough to cause both herself and Finster to stare in its direction.

"What was that?" she asked, her eyes darkening.

"I can only-."

Finster swiftly stopped mid sentence as three bodies raced through the archway, two of them squealing and the third mass growling and salivating behind them.

"I will eat you alive!" Goldar growled, as he swiped aside a small table, and peered over the two trembling forms of Baboo and Squatt.

Baboo let out an extended whimper and pointed a trembling finger toward his partner. "Eat him first, he has the most meat on him!"

"Oh, no, please don't eat me!" Squatt pleaded. "I'm sure I'm not that tasty to eat!"

Rita scowled. "Goldar!" she snapped, storming over to the titan and swinging her staff toward him.

The impact broke the golden assassin's fixated stance and he swung around and snarled at her in frustration. "I have had it with these two!" he snapped, clenching his fingers manically as his eyes glowed an intense crimson color. "You may be content to stand around and wait for the heavy fist of Emperor Zedd to come down on us, but I refuse to allow the Lord to categorize me in the same pack as these putrid weaklings!"

"Save your passion for when Lord Zedd knocks on that back door!" Rita ordered him. "Besides, if you eat every weakling at this base, we will have no one to stall Lord Zedd with!"

"She has a point!" Baboo piped up.

"You sure are wise, my Queen!" Squatt added.

"Can it!" Rita snapped at them, before she fixed her sights back on Goldar. "Finster has been telling me that Serpentera is only-."

Rita didn't get the chance to finish.

The solid floor below them rumbled, the spasms shaking the chamber's walls heightening as a loud shower of noise could be heard from the many floors below them.

"Oh no, my Queen, it must be Lord Zedd!" Finster grabbed his head.

Rita gulped. "Assemble at the perimeter!" she shouted. "Now!"

Goldar leaned over and grabbed Baboo and Squatt by their arms, dragging them after him as he quickly flooded from the chamber. Rita gathered her skirt to follow, but stopped as she noticed Finster standing as though he were a statue.

"Get moving, Finster," she ordered him.

He shuffled nervously. "My Queen, I know nothing of combat, nothing to save myself from the Emperor's advances. I ask permission that I return to my laboratory and wait there until I am executed."

Rita scowled, but it leveled out to a sigh. "If you want to burn with this hellhole, then I won't stop you," she said, before turning and sauntering out through the exit.

* * *

"…there was only one of them…" Kimberly sighed as she finished retelling the incident with the clone of Jason, and waited for her mentor to speak up. 

"ALPHA, PLEASE TRY AND BRING UP FOOTAGE FROM THIS INCIDENT ON THE VIEWING GLOBE," Zordon suggested to his robotic assistant.

Alpha 5 immediately moved for the opposite end of computers, and Kimberly couldn't help but look Tommy's way. Her friend was gazing around the Command Center slowly, as Billy attended to the wound on his arm with some supplies from their medical kit. Kimberly couldn't help but feel a little creepy about what had happened to them, not only because of the clone and the out of character attack from Rita, but also the way in which they had been supposedly injured.

She glanced down at her leg and prodded the small wound, which didn't really look like anything for her to worry about.

"So, you're sure there's nothing strange about the cuts we got?" Jason questioned, as he leaned against the control panel nearby.

Billy sighed and straightened himself up. "It appears that you were each cut by some kind of sharp object, however the scanners here don't appear to be picking up on anything abnormal. Perhaps you merely made contact with a sharp instrument during the scuffle?"

Kimberly thought about her genius friend's words' for a moment. She couldn't remember anything being there that could have cut them, but then again, she reasoned that she was probably too freaked out at the time to remember anything rationally.

"There you go," Billy said to Tommy, as he evidently finished looking at the cut on his arm and Tommy nodded his appreciation.

"Zordon," Alpha 5 suddenly spoke up. "I have completed the scan, however there seems to be no evidence of such an attack occurring."

Kimberly frowned and shared a concerned glance with Jason.

"THAT IS QUITE UNUSUAL," Zordon spoke up. "I AM UNABLE TO PICK UP ANYTHING WITH MY OWN SENSORS, EITHER."

"But what does that mean, Zordon?" Zack spoke up.

"I CANNOT BE SURE, ZACHARY. FOR NOW, I THINK IT WOULD BE BEST IF YOU ALL RETURN TO ANGEL GROVE AND I WILL CONTACT YOU AS SOON AS WE RECEIVE ANYTHING ON OUR SENSORS."

Kimberly sighed, slightly with relief, yet mostly with frustration. She moved into a small huddle with her friends, before they rocketed out of the Command Center.

* * *

Zedd groaned. 

This was why his Empire's invincible shell had began to deteriorate since he had shared his power with others- exactly the reason why Zedd stood and stared at the moon palace before him, the silence enough to confirm they were expecting him, yet only a handful of lousy guards stood by the back perimeter.

This was a pillar of the great Zedd Empire, and only three sacks of bones wearing upside-down buckets on their heads stood to protect it!

Zedd let out another low and extended groan, as he stretched his neck and rolled it around his shoulders. The trip from his base on Sector Eight had been exhausting- actually; it was the frustration that made him tired, just as being hungry did.

That hunger of his was unquenchable.

"Ahhh…" he murmured, as he stepped down the elaborate steps of his war zord Serpentera and took his first steps onto the moon. "I see I was more than correct in assuming that some redecorating around here will be on our agenda…"

He glanced over his shoulder as Scorpina snaked her way out behind him, the curves of her lush body looking more than delectable as her legs sliced down each step. Every move she made was like a performance, and he could tell she was ready to pounce.

She laughed wickedly as she moved beside him, and together they approached the perimeter. Zedd tightened his grip around his staff and slowed as he approached the guards, finding it rather amusing how they struggled between cowering to him, bowing to him and threatening him all at once.

He chuckled in a deep voice. "How cute, I see she has you in matching outfits these days," he commented.

The one in the middle straightened his body up, but even then he was only half of Zedd's height and clearly lacking the strength to even pinch the alien emperor.

It's voice quivered. "We have strict orders from Queen Rita to-uh-to refuse access to the palace by any outsiders…"

Zedd moved his head on an angle, feeling almost high off the fear the weak warriors were sweating.

"Betrayal of the great emperor is punishable by torturous death," Scorpina hissed, her dark eyes squinting from beneath her intricate headpiece. "Perhaps you might think it best to get to your knees and apologize to our lord to spare your lives?"

The three guards quickly exchanged glances before they slowly lowered themselves to the ground, heads dropped so that the fronts of the their helmets were resting on the dark surface.

"Please forgive us, Lord Zedd…It was the empress that put us up to it- she-."

The sound of their heads rebounding off the ground and rolling astray broke off their sorry plea and Zedd chuckled as Scorpina wiped the tar colored blood from her intricate weapon on one of the bodies of the now assassinated security hub. His female assassin did not join him in his amused expression, however, her face remaining as serious as always.

He stepped over the bodies and approached the back entrance, his curiosity soaring as he realized the doors were open. The consideration that Rita had fled the base on word of his impending arrival had tickled Zedd's thoughts as he's drifted toward the moon, but it didn't last for long. Rita was neither that intelligent, nor that willing to give up – her stubborn streak which had attracted him to her all those thousands of years was still there, prickles and all.

"It's ghastly My Lord," Scorpina commented from behind him as they began up a lone staircase, striking out at the many doors that lined the narrow tunnel.

Zedd lips curled up from behind his metal plate and he sniggered. "Relax Scorpina, once I destroy Rita I shall allow you to do with this base as you please," he stopped mid step and looked over at her, her porcelain cheekbones gently highlighted in the dim light.

"Go now, and find for me Goldar," he ordered her. "I want to confront Rita on my own."

Her gaze darkened slightly, but being too obedient she nodded stiffly.

"Worried I'll embarrass you in front of your little bitch, eh?"

Zedd swung around at the sound of the familiar voice, but still managed to catch the brunt of her golden staff as it swung around in a generous motion. He tripped, but used the wall behind him to stall his fall, viciously growling back at her.

"I should have guessed that time would only tell before you dare stand up against me you twisted witch!" he snapped back, as he inched his staff vertically before him.

Rita's chin cocked slightly, her dark eyes full of the misery he had always seen, yet something was different.

She was going to try and kill him. A small part of the heart he didn't have questioned whether he'd actually choose to dispose of Rita Repulsa once and for all on this day- had he used of her what he could?

"After everything I did for you," her voice was nothing but a whisper of despise. "You pin me against your greatest enemy, and prove to me that you are nothing to deserve the crown of this empire- so prepare to fight for it!"

* * *

They may have only been rangers for four months, but it had already become an unspoken agreement that the Youth Center was their unofficial hangout. Maybe it was because it symbolized a past before their days of higher duty, or maybe it was simply for the distraction, but they somehow found themselves to the local hangout after leaving the Command Center that day. 

All around them, teenagers and children were smiling and laughing, slurping down milky drinks as though there wasn't a care in the world. Billy felt a small tinge of envy as he took in the surroundings from their table, wishing he could switch his mind off for once. He couldn't say he regretted taking his 'normal' childhood for granted before coming a ranger, but there were times like these that he began to wonder whether he wasted too many opportunities to just enjoy himself.

Even despite Zack's effort to install normality to the occasion by shouting them all milkshakes and a bowl of pretzels, Billy just couldn't relax. His mind was like pure adrenalin, sifting through notions and possibilities. His intelligence- his gift – seemed to be a curse at times like these.

Zack seemed to be the only one chattering away for what seemed like an hour, and Billy finally gave him his honest attention as the bowl of salty snacks arrived at their table.

"Come on guys, dig in," the black ranger spoke up.

Billy took a halfhearted pile in his palm, his emerald gaze unable to resist falling on his friends opposite him with concern.

_They look different…perhaps they are just in some kind of shock after the strange occurrence this morning…_

How becoming a ranger had turned Billy into a pillar of paranoia when anything appeared remotely out of the ordinary! Apparently, Zack also picked up on Jason, Kimberly and Tommy's out of character quietness, though, in particular the exhausted dullness from the usually bubbly pink ranger.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Zack asked, as he downed another pretzel. "Eat up, and stop worrying…Zordon will tell us if anything is wrong," he added presumptuously.

Kimberly sighed, her sluggish eyes finally moving from the table toward her friend. "Zack, I'm just tired…" she yawned, running a hand over her face. "I don't really feel like anything to eat."

"What? Did you three go partying all night or something?" Zack asked, shaking his head in confusion.

Jason straightened himself up, blinking his eyes with seeming emphasis. "No," he assured his friend. "I think it's just what happened this morning. I'm pretty tired myself."

Billy felt a strange pang at his leader's words', but quickly tried to conceal his concern by taking a sip from his milkshake. He was a scientist, perhaps only a novice, but he still had an inbuilt desire to investigate; to be inquisitive. He couldn't do anything about a situation if he merely had a feeling alone.

"Are any of you experiencing any kind of abnormal symptoms?" he finally spoke up.

Kimberly narrowed her gaze slightly. "What do you mean 'symptoms'? You're talking as though we're sick…"

"I was just curious," Billy explained. "The three of you both seem to be experiencing a heightened sense of exhaustion, and I just wanted to ensure that it had nothing to do with-."

"Aw look- it's the dweebs and their newest geek recruit!" Bulk's sneering voice cut off Billy's explanation, as the troublemaker walked towards the group with Skull lagging behind.

Billy sighed and shared a glance with Zack. "What do you two want?" Zack asked.

"Nothing from you, that's for sure," Bulk jibbed. The overweight teen pushed his arms between Jason and Kimberly and grabbed the bowl of pretzels.

"Hey!" Kimberly spoke up, turning around to glare at him as she grabbed his exposed arm.

"Hey, give those back!" Zack demanded, standing up.

"Sure," Bulk said with a silly grin on his face that said otherwise. He shared a look with his lanky friend, before he swiftly threw the bowl of salty snacks towards them, showering them all with the contents.

Kimberly yelped slightly and Billy shook his head, annoyed. His actions finally lit a spark in Jason and Tommy, and both of them stood up and faced the two bully's face-to-face.

"Just walk away," Billy heard Jason warn them in a low, but steady voice.

Billy could observe Bulk's face somewhat losing its steadfast expression, the clear look of fear on Skull's face confirming the threat that Jason and Tommy posed to the two goons. Bulk finally stepped back, and Skull reached a skinny arm to dramatically grasp his best friend by the front of his shirt.

"We're walking," Skull's voice quivered.

Bulk scowled and rolled his eyes. Billy assumed the two punks would swiftly be on their way, but it's almost as if they both suddenly froze. He could see their gazes falter slightly, their eyes drooping, before they both slumped to the ground.

"Hey!" Ernie shouted out from the counter. "What just happened?"

Despite the silly prank that had just been pulled on them, both Jason and Tommy instantly dropped beside Bulk and Skull, as the entire Youth Center turned to stare at them. Billy stood up from his own chair and peered over as he watched the red ranger seemingly examine them.

Kimberly frowned from opposite Billy. "Is that…snoring?" she asked in disbelief.

Jason turned his head at her comment, his own exhausted eyes glancing at Zack, Billy and Kimberly with alarm.

"They're sleeping," he stated with confusion.

"Do I need to call an ambulance or something?" Ernie asked as he quickly trudged around the counter and towards the scene of drama.

Jason looked at the restaurateur, unsure of how to reply.

---

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

_**Coming up…the final episode to "Rebirth of the Legacy"!**_

"I will offer you this vial, and in exchange you will fight for me…" Zedd told him.

"We refuse to help you destroy the power rangers!"


	24. Finale: Day of Reckoning II

**REBIRTH OF THE LEGACY**

By Chanelle Summer

**Season Finale: Day of Reckoning: Part 2 - Episode 23**

_A/N- Hey! Thanks for everyone's reviews, this is the last chapter of this story, but will continue in the next one shortly…so keep an open mind and I hope you enjoy…_

**_As the mysterious virus spreads, Rita braces herself for a confrontation with Zedd, while Kimberly, Jason and Tommy continue to fall painfully towards unconsciousness. And when a life hangs in the balance...what will it take to save a friend so precious to them all?_**

* * *

From outside the perimeter of the Zedd Empire's moon palace, no one would have believed there was a war burning on inside its prison-like stature. There was an absence of the echoes of gunfire- no screams of retribution or the last minute cries for life. All that could be heard was Their breathing, as they simply stood before each other, staffs cocked and eyes blaringly slapping the other over and over again. 

A silent game of warfare.

"Well this is getting pathetically boring," Zedd finally murmured, glancing over at Scorpina as though he were sharing a joke.

Rita narrowed her gaze even further, holding her stance on the higher step. "Don't waste your breath, Zedd- I thought you could kill us all in the blink of an eye?" she jibbed.

She could hear the alien empire smirk behind his mouth plate. "Oh Rita, do you really think that you can strike me down? I admire your delusions, but you cannot begin to dream the reality of a monarch when you are nothing but a slave dressed in colorful robes…"

Scorpina let out a surprisingly sickly-sweet giggle, raising her hand to cover her mouth.

"At least I'm not a disposable piece of space trash," Rita snapped, pointing her gaze on the female assassin. "And a king, no matter how great, can never claim his strength when he brags about it behind the cover of a woman."

Zedd cocked his head slightly, before he put his arm out. "Scorpina, go and find Goldar," he ordered her.

Scorpina narrowed her dark gaze on Rita, before she slowly turned around and slithered back down the stairs.

Rita watched Zedd curiously, waiting for him speak, but she was inwardly taken aback as he merely stared at her coldly.

"Why are you here?" Rita finally asked him, her voice surprisingly soft.

Zedd lowered his staff slightly. "You have failed me, Rita…I ask for so little, and you fail me again and again…"

He took a step up and Rita remained still.

"You were ordered to wipe out Zordon's hold on this end of the universe, and yet lo and behold he is only rebuilding his precious kingdom to greater heights."

"Zordon is hiding behind nothing but an exaggerated power source contained in a handful of coins…If Zordon overthrows the Zedd Empire, then that shows nothing but how weak we are- and a weak army is only as pathetic as the one that leads them!" Rita recited.

She spun around, pacing up the stairs, only to come to a stop as she reached a door at the end. Her eyes lowered slightly, watching as Zedd's shadow crawled up behind her and she waited for it.

Her eyes were now closed.

She smirked, and slowly turned around. "You're nothing but a fool," she taunted him. "What's the matter? Can't you remember what it takes to actually dispose of someone? Or is it that you're so used to getting everyone else to clean up your mess for you, that you-."

Rita's taunt was bluntly cut short as Zedd shot a quick hand to the side of her face, slamming it against her cheek and causing her to whimper uncontrollably with surprise.

She grabbed her cheek, refusing to cower as he stood up toward her. "Dare speak to me like that again, and I will torture you ten times over before I show you just how polished I am at disposing of somebody!" he warned her in a low voice.

Rita gulped inwardly, her eyes lowering to the ground. "Torture me as you will, my lord," she beckoned him in the calmest of tones. "But don't expect me to stand here and allow you to do so without a fight."

She blinked and courageously lifted her gaze, wishing she could see his real expression behind all the metal armor and red flesh.

But as he began to quietly snigger, and then chuckle, she frowned, becoming increasingly annoyed by his erratic behavior.

"What?" she sputtered at him.

"I have a much better idea," he decided out loud. "I too, agree that merely slaughtering you here would be rather jaded and after all, how fair would it be of me to eliminate you before I prove to you just how incompetent you really are…"

Rita raised an eyebrow. "What in hell's name are you talking about?"

Zedd chortled once more, as though lost in his own world. "We shall call it a challenge," he explained. "I will prove to you just how easy it is to eliminate Zordon's precious teenage warriors…once I have successfully murdered them in their own blood, before destroying Zordon himself, I will then earn the right to kill you, my general…"

Rita squirmed her face up a little. "And if you fail…my Lord?"

Zedd moved down a step, opening his arms in an exaggerated gesture. "If you somehow fumble your way to victory before I do, then I'll gladly allow you a stab at the throne!" he announced.

Rita smirked; their jovial exchange cut short as two figures in gold suddenly appeared from behind Zedd.

"What is going on here? I thought you were going to kill her?" Scorpina accused in a steeled tone.

Zedd barely glanced her way. "I've decided it will be more fun to do it another way," he explained. "Now Rita, show me to my chambers…Scorpina, go find me something to eat and Goldar…follow me."

Rita exchanged a smug glare with Scorpina, before she pushed open the door behind her and carefully led the leader of the Empire into her chamber.

* * *

Jason felt like he'd been left to rest on death's doorstep. His eyes were heavy, his mind was empty of even the slightest coherent thought and every limb of his body was so enervated that he couldn't begin to move. 

Something was wrong. Seriously wrong.

After the incident with Bulk and Skull at the Youth Center, Ernie had called the ambulance. It was clear to the red ranger that the two goons were merely asleep and in no danger of fatal harm, but nothing he or Tommy did coaxed them to return to the conscious world.

Like a domino effect, the sudden burst of exhaustion seemed to pass on. Within a minute of calling the ambulance, Ernie collapsed to the ground in exhaustion, and pretty soon Jason and the others were scrambling about as another five customers also gave into slumber.

Billy immediately suggested their need to go to the Command Center. Jason did not like the idea of having to leave innocent humans lying around the ground alone, but he convinced himself that medical help was on the way and they would soon be taken care of.

Then Tommy dropped. Their friend's knees' seemed to buckle from beneath him and he had awkwardly crumpled to the ground. Unlike the others, however, Tommy remained awake and Jason didn't waste another moment to teleport them all to the ranger headquarters.

_That's when everything becomes hazy…_he thought, as his mind tossed and turned over the surreal incident that day.

He tried to straighten his body, but it was as though he couldn't control his own movements. His legs were literally cramping as he continued to lie in an almost fetal position, but he couldn't find the breath to verbalize his inner anguish.

"Kim," he managed to speak out, as he clumsily extended his hand and shook her arm where she was sprawled on the ground not far from him. She was struggling to stay awake, and he was doing everything he could to stop her from giving in, but he didn't know how much energy he had left himself.

"I can't…" her words were breathless, and he attempted to crawl closer to her. "I'm so tired…" There was pain in her voice this time: "I think Tommy is asleep…"

Jason managed to move his head slightly and he noticed their friend's eyes' fully closed and unwavering. He had been unable to endure the intense exhaustion that seemed to ravage his body at an uncontainable speed.

"Kim…you need to stay awake, though…" Jason shook her again, even though he could see her eyes slightly open. "We both have to."

Something was seriously wrong.

* * *

Billy sighed as he waited for the results. He already had a terrible inner feeling of what the findings would tell them, but at the same time he was trying to stay one step ahead. Even if they received the worst news imaginable, he remained in hope that such a result would give them at least a clue as to how to help them. 

From just observing his three friends, he could clearly see they were all suffering the effects of a puzzling and physically distressing ailment. Fearing that the root of it was something severely contagious, the blue ranger had surrounded Kimberly, Jason and Tommy in a glass enclosure as they arrived at the Command Center. And as he watched over them, he could see their physical states dwindle away with each passing moment.

"Billy," Alpha 5 suddenly spoke up, and Billy turned his attention from his friends to the android. "The results are in."

Billy adjusted his glasses and took the paper read-out from the robot. His blue-green eyes skimmed knowingly over the data, and he did his best to block out Zack and Trini's pleading for answers until he was certain.

"They're all suffering from a virus," he finally reported, glancing at his two uninfected teammates. "Just as I thought; it's extremely contagious. It appears to be passed through direct skin to skin contact."

"Okay, so what is this virus? They're all acting like they're drugged or something," Zack stated, the frustration evident in his tone.

"BILLY, WERE YOU ABLE TO PINPOINT THE CAUSE OF THE VIRUS?" Zordon asked him.

Billy shook his head. "Negative," he responded with potent disappointment. "The make-up of the virus is foreign and unspecified. It's not anything I'm familiar with from this planet, and I can only assume that Rita has something to do with this."

"Of course!" Trini spoke up, sighing loudly. "The putty attack this morning…it must have given them the virus."

The blue ranger nodded his head, not surprised that Trini had picked up on his own theory. "Before we left the Youth Center, I took a bandana that Bulk had wrapped around his wrist. I tested the material, and it came back positive when tested for the virus, but the formation of the cells is different to what is present in Kimberly, Jason and Tommy. We don't know what that means yet…all we know so far, is that everyone infected has the immediate sense of exhaustion and once they're asleep, it appears that they stay that way."

"Guys?"

Billy looked towards the glass chamber nearby and could see Jason on his hands and knees, tapping on the glass. Trini instantly responded, hurrying over to the see-through confinement and reaching her hand to touch the glass.

"Are you okay?" she asked their leader with concern.

The red ranger's head seemed to drop, as though he didn't have the energy to hold it up. "We need something…" He paused, as though he needed to take a breath. "Anything, to stay awake…Kim-berly…is falling…asleep."

Trini banged on the glass with her fist, and Kimberly seemed to flinch slightly, but remained sprawled on her back.

"Billy, isn't there anything we can do to help them?" the yellow ranger asked, as she turned around and pleaded to him with her dark eyes.

Billy sighed, his mind continuing to sort through all the possibilities. He knew they were in serious trouble if Jason and Kimberly fell asleep, but at the same time, they would be unable to fight in battle in their current state, regardless. Billy realized that his friends' well beings were the number one concern and had become the more essential consideration over concern if Rita was to escalate a battle.

"Guys, look," Zack spoke up, as the viewing globe illuminated.

Billy watched as a news anchor filled the sphere, delivering a news report with utter urgency in his voice:

"_Citizens of Angel Grove, we have just received an alert issued by Mayor Stapleton that there appears to be a contagious ailment that causes its victims to fall into a deep sleep. The nature of the virus it so far unknown, but the four major hospitals in Angel Grove city and surrounding areas have been inundated with people who have succumbed to this deep sleep._

"_Numerous witnesses have described those infected as appearing to just simply drop asleep without any warning. So far, estimates are showing that over seven hundred citizens have been so far infected and doctors are rushing to perform tests that will give us the answers as to what this virus is. Angel Grove, and indeed the nation as a whole, has never seen a situation quite like this, but the mayor and officials have asked that everyone remain indoors and to stay calm until further information is brought to light."_

Billy, Trini and Zack seemed to sigh in unison. Billy turned to face his friends as the news footage faded away from the screen. "Did either of you make physical skin contact with Kimberly, Jason or Tommy today?" he asked them.

They both shook their heads and Billy nodded. "Okay, we need to locate an antidote…except, it's perceptibly comprehensible that Rita would have the only one, being that we can assume she manufactured the virus herself."

"BILLY, IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE INFORM THE GENERAL POPULATION OF ALL INFORMATION WE HAVE GATHERED THUS FAR. THE VIRUS IS HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS, AND AS WE WAIT FOR ANSWERS, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE RUN THE RISK OF BECOMING INFECTED. THIS IS A GRAVE SITUATION, AND WITH NO ANTIDOTE AT OUR DISPOSAL, WE CANNOT RISK THE POSSIBILITY OF THOUSANDS OR PERHAPS MANY MORE HUMAN CASUALTIES."

"But Zordon- we can't just let this happen…there has to be a way to help," Trini pleaded with their master.

Billy's own emotions ached at the pain in his friend's words'. This was the first time they'd been challenged and had no clear-cut solution. Not even Zordon, with all his power and knowledge, could save them.

* * *

Zedd felt the thick smile twist beneath his mouth plate. As much as he hated the woman, he had to admit that Rita's latest plan was indeed delectable. 

And it worried him slightly…only faintly, but enough to make him wonder if somehow, it was possible that the sorceress would defeat him in their challenge for authority on the same day of its creation…

"My lord," Goldar spoke up, as he approached his master at the balcony. "Is it time to go down and destroy the rangers yet?"

Zedd chuckled at the titan's keenness, managing to surprise himself by his quick reply. "No. Not yet, Goldar," he ordered. "We can afford to be patient when the cards are all in our favor…we have the time to wait for all the humans to drop into an eternal sleep…"

Goldar seemed to growl slightly under his breath, and Zedd snapped his head in his direction as if to dare the titan to question his authority.

"But oh evil one, shouldn't we take advantage of the situation now that some of the rangers are unfit for battle? Every other time we have waited, they have always-."

"Silence!" Zedd thundered, slamming his fist on the guardrail before him. He intensified his glare on the golden mandrill, waiting for the blood to drain from his head before he spoke up once more.

"The only reason that Zordon and those pathetic rangers had any luck in foiling plan after plan, was because neither my general nor my leading servant and assassin could do their jobs!" Zedd spoke bitterly. "The power rangers are nothing more than little children playing dress-ups in colorful costumes…they are weak, Goldar! Weak!" He moved his hands around in large gestures as if to further his resentment. "From what I can see, a few of them have some capable combat skills, but nothing that could even begin to match the eminence that is expected from this great empire!"

"Their leader is a highly competent warrior by earth standards," Goldar protested, clearly bitter himself. "He has proven a force alone in our few confrontations."

Zedd sniggered, unable to resist his urge to mock and jibe the proud-defeated warrior. "Oh, Goldar. What are you saying? That a little boy is capable of wounding a combatant who has been directly responsible for the assassinations of over two thousand of our enemies?" His voice suddenly drained of his wit and he scoffed. "You should be disgusted in your self-pity."

Goldar lowered his head in shame and Zedd tore his eyes back to the planet below, disgusted himself at the incompetence of his force. He sent his crimson, telescopic vision towards the planet of his desire and focused his attention on the distress that had entertained him just moments before hand.

He chuckled as he watched the city of Angel Grove and indeed entire populations in surrounding cities seem to crash into a state of widespread slumber. Bodies were sprawled throughout the streets, sleeping people slumped over their steering wheels in cars or draped over park benches. It was as though the world was slowly being consumed by some form of death.

It wasn't death per say, but it looked just as good. And Zedd didn't care whether the pathetic beings were breathing or not, just as long as they didn't get in his way.

He tightened his grip around the small vial in his hand and grinned to himself. He could only picture Zordon's panic, loving the thought of his greatest enemy's desperation that harm would befall his 'children'.

"Is this what you're looking for, Zordon?" Zedd said to himself as he thought about the antidote in his hand. "Are you looking for this?"

* * *

Billy knelt down, his hand passing through the clear barrier that had caged his three seriously ill friends like the dying during the black plague. He held his hand mid air, watching his hand quiver slightly. He knew his body needed to eat; they all did. 

He had watched, as Jason and Kimberly seemed to poke each other weakly every few moments, before deciding that he needed to intervene. It would be harsh, but it was simple and he hoped that it would be more effective. Simply telling his infected teammates to fight the urge of their disease was no longer working.

He tossed the icy cold liquid over them from the container in his hand, flinching as Kimberly let out a strangled shriek and Jason awkwardly scrambled to his knees in such a manner that he would have definitely put his back out.

"You guys are both falling asleep," Billy stated as they both looked at him, dense confusion in their eyes. "Do you want something to eat?"

They remained quiet, and Kimberly seemed to slump back on her back, raising her knees as her eyes began to close once more.

"Kimberly!" Trini raised her voice slightly, as she came barreling to Billy's side.

It had been this way for hours. It was harrowing and disturbing, but even more so it was becoming frustrating.

Trini seemed to sigh sadly and Billy offered her a consoling hand on her arm.

"This is so terrible," she told him quietly. "We've gone over everything so many times, and nothing seems to work."

"We will work out a cure," he told her. It was a statement he was unable to back up with a scrap of proof, but he believed it. "Science takes time. It's just a matter of looking at each component carefully, and then repeating the varying steps until we get it right."

Trini nodded, as though his words seem to temporarily sooth her rising concern. "In the meantime, what do we do for them?" She motioned to the three sick teenagers with her eyes. "We've tried talking to them; making loud noises and throwing freezing water on them- they're not going to be able to stay awake forever."

Billy showed his understanding of her statement by offering a slight nod.

Until a thought popped into his mind. "That's it!" he burst out.

"What?" Zack asked up from where he had been standing on the opposite side of the room.

"A stimulant," Billy stated, to no one in particular. He turned to Alpha 5, his hand reaching to his glasses as he mentally worked his theory in his head. "Alpha, how much of that stimulant formula do we have in stock?"

The robot mirrored Billy's sudden bolt of enthusiasm. "Why, of course!" the android exclaimed, as he hurried over to one of the locked cupboards below the main scanner. He quickly straightened himself back up, and swung around as Billy reached him.

Suddenly the circular chamber exploded into its high-pitched enemy alert, the alarm blaring and causing them all to spin around and stare with dread at the viewing globe.

"Oh man!" Zack exclaimed in annoyance.

"RANGERS, A MONSTER HAS BEEN RELEASED IN THE CENTER OF ANGEL GROVE CITY," Zordon confirmed with almost dread.

"But what do we do, Zordon? Jason and Kimberly are too sick to go into battle," Trini pointed out.

Billy shared a glance with his friends, realizing how lost they were without Jason's guidance.

"ALTHOUGH NOT IDEAL, I BELIEVE OUR ONLY CHOICE IS TO SEND TWO OF YOU TO TAKE CARE OF THIS NEW MENACE," Zordon stated. "ZACK; TRINI. YOUR MISSION IS TO MORPH AND HOLD BACK RITA'S CREATURE TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITIES. BILLY, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO STAY HERE AT THE COMMAND CENTER UNTIL WE CAN ESTABLISH AN ANTIDOTE OR A MEANS OF REVERSING THE AFFECTS OF THE SLEEPING POISON."

Billy sighed and nodded his head a little hesitantly. Although never one to naturally lean toward battle, he felt inwardly shattered that he couldn't be there to help Trini and Zack when they would be so clearly outnumbered in strength.

"Take care, guys," he offered his friends, as they unclipped their morphers from their belts.

"Just take care of them," Zack told him, slapping him on the shoulder. "We're toast without all of us there."

Billy watched as they morphed and teleported out, before he sighed, allowing himself a moment of quiet contemplation, before he felt the cold of metal brush his arm.

"Here," Alpha 5 said, extending a needle-like gadget towards the blue ranger.

Billy's eyes widened as he suddenly remembered about the stimulate. He let the rush of adrenalin quicken his pace like never before, as he hurried to his three caged friends without delay. He forwent his usual explanations to them, and abruptly administered the liquid fluid to each of them succinctly.

Like a ragged doll, Kimberly almost immediately sat up, her eyes slightly swollen, but open and alert. Jason followed suit and even managed to stand up, watching Billy as he finished giving Tommy the stimulant.

But, the overly exhausted teenager remained motionless.

"What's wrong with him?" Jason asked, his voice clear of his previous fog.

Billy quickly glanced at his leader and shook his head. "I'm not certain," he admitted. He extended his hand as Alpha 5 passed a device towards him, and he ran the advanced scanner over Tommy's body, waiting as the data ran across the tiny screen.

He sighed. One hurdle solved, another born.

"I don't know why, but Tommy's body isn't responding to the stimulant," Billy announced. "But, there's something I've discovered from this scan…it appears that the strand of virus Tommy, you and Kimberly have is dissimilar…it's the originator. You three are the original carriers of the virus."

Kimberly crawled over to Tommy's side and stopped beside Billy. "But why isn't he getting better?" she asked, her eyes remaining on their friend's motionless body.

"FROM THE DATA YOU HAVE COLLECTED, BILLY, IT APPEARS THAT THE RANGER POWERS ARE BOOSTING YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEMS AND ARE BLOCKING OFF THE SAME DETERIORATING AFFECTS THAT TOMMY IS EXPERIENCING," Zordon finally spoke up.

Jason shook his head. "But how do we stop it?"

"UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO. FROM TOMMY'S VITALS, HIS BODY IS DETERIORATING AT A RAPID PACE. EVEN IF WE ARE ABLE TO SECURE AN ANTIDOTE, IT'S UNLIKELY THAT HE WILL SURVIVE THIS DEVASTATING DEVELOPMENT."

* * *

Zack had to admit that although he knew that he and Trini were seriously undermanned as they arrived at the spot of Rita's newest monster, he was still confident. If anything, with all the hurdles Rita had thrown at them over the passing months, the black ranger thought that her supposedly indestructible monsters were fairly pathetic overall. 

"Watch out!" Trini's high-pitched voice suddenly called out, and Zack grunted, stumbling backward as the creature swung its oversized sickle toward him, catching him off guard.

Okay, so maybe Zack was being a little too cocky.

"Nice costume," Zack jibbed at the creature, as he threw himself into a roundhouse kick and caught it in the lower torso. "But black really doesn't suit you…it's not the right color for that pale skin of yours, you know?"

Zack quickly ducked to the ground to avoid its counterattack and wiped a solid leg toward it, catching it enough so that Trini could back him up with a well-executed kicking combination.

Rita's monster was more than eerily familiar. Perhaps it was a way of rubbing their faces into the fact that the population of the city they were supposed to be defending was slowly deteriorating, but Zack couldn't fathom the humor behind it.

The black cape; the bony, lifeless skin; the trademark sickle.

The Grim Reaper had been apparently sent to collect them, too.

Zack grabbed his power blaster, and bent his knees slightly, waiting until Trini was clear before he let off a multiple ray of energy attacks. The impact of his strike literally shattered through the creature's left hand, but the fragment of bones literally floated to the ground, before another hand simultaneously regenerated in its place.

_Oh, man…not another one of these!  
_

Zack grunted, swiping his axe toward its torso, but stood momentarily motionless as he watched his power weapon become lodged in the creature's bony body. He quickly grabbed hold of the handle and pulled on it sharply, falling backward with uncontrollable momentum.

Zack scampered a little backward and feebly stood up, surprising himself as he suddenly realized just how tired he was. Maybe it was the fact that they were missing so much of their strength in numbers, and that there weren't as many rangers to take over when they were out of breath, but Zack was suddenly feeling woozy.

He took a deep breath and tried to focus his vision through his helmet. The bodies of an elderly gentleman and a middle aged woman slumped over a street bench crept into his line of sight and Zack swallowed heavily, dread slowly creeping into his drained conscious.

* * *

Zedd glanced around the new surroundings before him and concealed the taste of bile that seemed to creep into his mouth at the sight. He knew the visit to Earth, and most especially to what was considered the headquarters for the city of Angel Grove would be worth it, but Zedd just could not get over how truly ugly the planet was. 

Despite lecturing Goldar that patience was the rule they should be following, not even the emperor himself could stick to his own orders. He grew anxious as he continued to watch Rita's virus spread through the population on Earth and he was tired of just watching the fun.

He wanted to have some fun himself. Besides, with Rita sending a monster down in her own predictable effort to screw up his plans to wait, Zedd knew darn well he didn't have any more time to simply watch and muse.

He walked up the main corridor of the City Hall building, unsurprised that he spotted no humans in sight. Turning up the corridor that he was searching for, he suddenly pulled to a stop though, as he came face to face with a lone human.

The middle-aged man eyed the ghastly alien emperor with sheer horror, his hand instantly snapping to the gun that Zedd could see in his holster. Zedd chuckled at the man's fear, and as the security guard raised his gun, Zedd pointed his silver staff toward him and sent out a bolt of electricity.

The shock of such an attack was too much for the human and he didn't even have a moment to scream, before his overheated body slumped against the wall. Zedd stepped over the lifeless form and entered the door it had been guarding, once again beaming with amusement as he came face to face with yet another humanoid.

The neatly dressed man appeared to have been doing an announcement on live television and stumbled to his feet as Zedd instantly moved for the camera and turned it so it was centered on him.

"Good afternoon, humans or should I be saying 'good night' going by the amount of people deciding it's already time to nap," he chuckled slightly. "I am Lord Zedd, ruler of the Zedd Empire and future leader of your measly planet Earth. I have already conquered the surrounding galaxies, and although I pride myself on my ability to obliterate entire species, I like to see myself as a fair destroyer."

He raised the bottled antidote in his hand, moving it so it was just an inch away from the camera's lens. "This here is the antidote for the virus which is currently spreading throughout your population. At this point in time, it has already infected thousands of individuals and in a matter of hours, it will have taken its one-millionth victim. Within three earth days, it's predicted it will have consumed almost every individual in this country alone. Without this antidote, your entire species will be wiped out. I will offer you this single vial in a worthwhile exchange…"

"We will not deal with aliens!" the mayor suddenly spoke up, a clear quiver poorly masked by his forceful outburst. "The power rangers will take care of you!"

Zedd laughed at the threat, surprised at how relied upon his newest enemies had already become on their home planet.

"Where are your precious saviors, anyhow? I can see two of them out on the street, but the last I heard, the other rangers had already been taken out by the virus in which I am offering you an antidote for…"

Mayor Stapleton's mouth slightly opened, clearly stunned by Zedd's announcement. It was evident that everyone on earth assumed the power rangers were indestructible- untouchable by a simple virus.

"I will offer you this vial, and in exchange you will fight for me…" Zedd told him.

"We refuse to help you destroy the power rangers!"

Zedd scoffed at his declaration and then chuckled. Destroying the rangers was already assured…and that was what he was trying to prevent.

"Oh no, I'm not talking about destroying the Power Rangers…I'm talking about destroying Rita Repulsa…"

* * *

Trini watched with a mixture of memorization and frustration as Rita's monster regenerated its right arm for the third time, her passionate release of violence against it doing nothing but seemingly inconveniencing it for a mere moment. 

Long enough to catch her breath.

She grabbed her stomach with her hand, preparing herself to go into attack again, wishing that she had a moment longer to regather herself. She threw a quick glance over her shoulder, her face immediately dropping as she noticed Zack struggling to remain on his feet.

"Are you okay?" she gasped, as she rushed to her friend's side.

She reached her arm around his shoulder, helping him to standing.

"Zack…"

"I don't know what's going on…" he finally gasped out. "I'm feeling really tired, Trin, I can't work out which way it up…"

Trini sighed, still trying to catch her breath. She glanced out at the monster slowly approaching them and tightened her grip around Zack.

"Are you infected with the virus?" she asked him, her eyes remaining ahead.

She could hear him sigh sullenly. "I've never felt like this before…" he admitted.

"You stay here, I'll hold him back as long as I can," Trini promised him, as she carefully helped him down to the ground.

She straightened herself up, preparing herself for yet another confrontation. With a dagger in each hand, and one foot before the other, she organized herself into a defensive kata position, but frowned as the monster suddenly stopped in its approach, its attention moving to a nearby retail electrical store.

Trini followed its gaze, her own concentration immediately stolen as she recognized with horror an alien being live on prime time television.

_Oh my God, that's Lord Zedd…_Trini realized to herself, _how did he get into the mayor's office? _

She carefully took a few steps closer to the front of the shop, cocking the right of her head as her movement allowed her to be close enough to hear muffled volume from the television in the front window display.

The king of the alien empire was clearly confident, that much was clear from his conceited stance and his almost pompous tone, but more intriguing to Trini was what appeared to be a tiny blue vile sitting in the palm of his fleshy hand. Zedd seemed to be shaking it front of the camera like one would tease a dog with a stick and Trini knew it immediately.

It _had _to be the antidote.

But before she could make clear of what Zedd was saying to the clearly frightened city leader, he disappeared from the screen in a wash of metallic energy. Trini slumped her shoulders and spun around in time to watch as the monster she'd been battling also disappeared, leaving her only momentarily alone, before she felt her body jet away.

As she noticed she had arrived back at the Command Center, she quickly demorphed, her eyes widening as she realized both Jason and Kimberly were standing with clarity on the other side of the chamber.

"Guys!" she exclaimed, hurrying over towards them, but stopping abruptly as Billy quickly intervened.

The look in his blue eyes told her that any happiness she felt was not complete and she nodded her head to him.

"Are you better?" she asked the question anyway and Billy shook his head.

"I gave them the stimulant and it worked in temporarily bolstering their energy levels, but only time will tell how effective the stimulant really is," he explained.

She smiled hopefully at Kimberly until Billy brushed past her and stopped in front of Zack. "Zack, what's wrong?" he asked quietly.

Trini sighed, remembering the exhausted state her friend had succumbed to during their battle with the Grim Reaper. "I think that Zack is infected by the virus," she explained, seeing that the black ranger was clearly listless and in no state to describe his state of well-being. "He must have somehow touched one of the infected."

Billy glanced at his African-American friend with compounded concern. Zack's eyes' were anchored to the ground, his arms crossed lazily over his lower stomach. As Billy reached toward him and administered the stimulate, Trini hoped to see the light return to her cheerful friend's eyes'.

_That looks like the last of the stimulate…_

Zack blinked his eyes with dramatic emphasis, before he looked up and released a breath of relief. "Man, thanks for that," he offered Billy.

The blue ranger nodded, but turned as Trini stepped up before the group. "I don't know if you guys saw it, but I saw Lord Zedd on the news while we were battling the Grim Reaper," she revealed.

"YES, TRINI, I AM AWARE OF THE SITUATION YOU'RE REFERRING TO. IT APPEARS THAT LORD ZEDD HAS HIS MIND SET ON NOT ONLY OVERTAKING PLANET EARTH, BUT ALSO RITA. I AM UNCERTAIN OF HIS INTENTIONS BY OFFERING SUCH A DEAL TO THIS POPULATION, HOWEVER…"

"What did the mayor decide?" Trini asked. She couldn't hold it against the head of the city if he chose to make a deal with Zedd in order to save the population, but Trini also imagined that bargaining with Zedd was like trying to negotiate with Rita.

Before Zordon could respond, a short, but piercing beeping sounded behind the group. Trini watched as Billy abruptly rushed to Tommy's side, his hands hurrying over the small monitor delivering the teen's vitals'.

"What is it?" Kimberly asked, dropping down beside Billy.

Billy remained silent. Trini could tell whatever he was going to announce, that it wouldn't be good.

"Billy-."

"Tommy's dying," Billy cut Jason off. His head was hung, and he removed his glasses. "He's dying."

Trini heard the air suck out from Kimberly. "What?" she gasped, tears spilling from the sides of her eyes.

Trini began for her friend, but stopped short as Kimberly shot up to her feet and spun around to face Zordon. "Isn't there something we can do?" she pleaded to their master. "Tommy has been through so much since he's known us…we can't just let him die…please, Zordon…"

"KIMBERLY, I UNDERSTAND THIS IS AN EMOTIONALLY DIFFICULT TIME FOR US ALL, BUT IT IS VITAL THAT WE MAINTAIN OUR FOCUS," Zordon replied. "TOMMY'S SITUATION IS DIRE…I HAVE AN IDEA THAT MIGHT BE THE SOLUTION FOR TOMMY'S CURRENT STATE, HOWEVER THE MISSION IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THE RISK OF YOUR OWN ENDANGERMENT IS SO HIGH, THAT YOU WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY PERISH."

Jason stepped up beside Kimberly. "Zordon, we don't have a choice," he stated firmly. "We can't let Tommy die…just tell us what we need to do to save his life."

---

**THAT MARKS THE END OF THIS STORY... **

**...TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT INSTALLMENT SOON...  
**

_That's the last episode in this installment "Rebirth of the Legacy". It will continue in my next story "Pride of the Power" which will be put up on the site soon- That's the only reason I will justify my cliffhanger! (Remember, this is like a television show…you know how awful season finales are!). I didn't make it a huge, crazy ending deliberately...I hope you'll all come back and read the next story and you can find a preview of upcoming chapters and summery for the next story in my profile._

_ In the next story...what will become of Tommy? What deadly mission must the others take at the only chance to keep him alive? And will Rita or Zedd succeed to overthrow the others and crush the rangers in the process? The next story opens with the rangers most dangerous mission yet, as the power of good will struggle in a place ruled by evil. And as the story continues, things certainly don't ease off- after months of finding their way and proving the stronger side in the first installment, the teens are all faced with a world increasingly bitter at their fight and circumstances that pull apart the beautiful simplicity that they once took for granted. New evil comes to life, while others die...and for the teens, new friends are made and through their continued sacrifice, their pride for each other continues to grow. __Love between young lovers grows...friendships between friends are changed.__ And maybe...just maybe...it will be enough when Zedd reveals a shocking plan in the very last moments that will leave it all to unravel._

_Thanks to everyone who read this story and for all your feedback- without your help, my writing can never improve (and I have so much to do- that's the fun in writing!) I can't believe that after a year and 200,000+ words later I've actually finished it, so thanks for everyone's patience. The next story will continue in the same format and will hopefully deliver a lot more surprises, twists and turns and personal growth for the characters. See you then!_


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